Keep on trying
by Cromarry
Summary: Have you ever thought what would happen, if Kyoko never heard Sho's conversation with Shoko? When Sho's parents demanded him to marry Kyoko, she lost her chance to break free from his influence. Or did she? It is my first fanfic, so please be understanding :).
1. The box has never been opened

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters.**

Chapter 1

The box has never been opened

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get Sho out of her head. He was so angry the day before, that she wasn't able to concentrate the whole day. She tried to call him, but he was occupied as always. Then an idea came to her head. She could give him some food to his workplace!

Kyoko was slightly shy, when she saw that the entrance to Sho's agency was full of his fans. But she had a plan. "Excuse me, delivery service" she said trying to be as convincing as possible. "Mr. Fuwa ordered it specially." Her eyes went wide as the guardian said "Wait a second here. I'll check it out." That wasn't a part of her plan. She tried to defocus the second guard. That only made her look more suspicious. Before she even realised it, she was dragged out of the entrance. Feeling defeated, she came back home.

Kyoko looked at Sho's poster. She felt horribly lonely. It's not like she didn't know solitudy. It was part of her life since the very begging. However when Sho asked her to run away with him, she thought that this time would be finally over. 'It isn't.' she thought sadly. The more she looked at his photo, the worse she felt. 'Stop it' she pulled herself together. She chose this life and as long as Sho was happy, she would be to. 'But it's so difficult.'

It was February the second. She started thinking about Valentine's Day and what kind of chocolates she would make him. That day wasn't different from the others. She fell asleep, dreaming about her prince. The box has never been opened.

Few months later

He knew that this song would be a huge success. Not that his previous pieces weren't successful. This time he felt like he made an undoubted masterpiece. He smirked a little. Sho wasn't so excited for a long time. Soon the shooting for Prisoner PV would start. He heard his phone ringing. Without single thought he turned off the phone. 'It must have been Kyoko'. It was the first time in a long while, when he thought about his friend. She was a good servant, he admitted. It made him feel even better. She was so stupid to work in order to live in this enormous expensive apartment! He boasted about his manipulative skills. Than he came back to his work.

If he paid a little more attention to Kyoko, he would find out that she looked more and more miserable. She definitely overworked herself, but she couldn't stop. Sho was so close to fulfill his dream. She had to endure.

When Sho saw Shoko, he knew that something was up. His manager was more than angry.

"Why do you have your mobile phone turned off?!' she shouted. "Do you know how difficult it is to contact with you like that?" He sighed. Sho wanted to flirt with her today, but she was definitely not in a good mood. He was slightly frustrated. No matter how hard he tried, she didn't accept his advances. When he saw the screen of his phone, he realised that it couldn't be Kyoko. She was too shy to call twice, while the mysterious caller phoned him around seven times.

He decided to call back after work. He wasn't prepared for what was waiting for him.

"Shotaro. Why didn't you phoned us?" the sweat run down his forehead. "H, hi mom… . Um, I was.. busy?". "We could see. By the way, how's Kyoko?"He remembered how his parents favored his friend. "Ok." he could almost see a disappointment in her eyes. "It's everything you can say? I hope you treat her well. That's the reason of my call. There are a lot of rumors about your relationship with her here." "So?" "You're fully aware that we send you a lot of money for living despite your run-away. We could change that." Sho started to be anxious. He got a lot of money from his work, but at the same time he had huge expenses. Loosing this source of income would be dangerous for his lifestyle. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. "Well, you know sooner or later rumors about you two will leak to the broader publicity and it could hurt your image. I know a solution. The only thing you have to do is…". he was shocked. "You can't be serious! How could I…?" "I'll give you some time to think it over. But I'm sure I already know your answer. Call me back later, when you make up your mind. Bye." and before he could argue back, his mother rang off.

Later that evening

He didn't kneel on his knee. There was no ring. Nothing special. But she felt her heart stopped, when she heard him "Marry me.". If she wasn't so blindly in love, maybe she would realise that it wasn't a question. Or that his face showed pure agony. She was too happy. She jumped and hugged him. "Yes, of course!"

 **AN/ OMG I ended first chapter. It's my first time writing fan-fiction, so please be gently ;p. Also English isn't my first language and I'm too ashamed to ask friends for checking, so please tell me about any potential mistakes. I know that this story is not very interesting yet, but please give it a try! Glad you read it. Have a nice day!**


	2. In strict confidence

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 2

In strict confidence

Sho regretted his decision right after he said it loud. Kyoko's happy reaction didn't change his mood. As she was hugging him, he was thinking about some way to get out of this. Saying it was a prank was the only thing that came to his mind, but it didn't solve the problem with his parents. Why were they so unfair? He did his best in order to get to the top of his industry and now they made him prisoned in this useless relationship. Then he hit upon a peculiar idea. He pushed her away slightly. He only had to wait some time… .

It was like a dream come true. Kyoko was so ecstatic that she almost missed Sho shoving her away. Her prince chose her to be his wife! Her mind was already making plans. Fairy-tale-like dress, strawberry cake, butterfly ornaments, oh, so much to do! She knew that she wouldn't sleep that night. She looked at Sho with affection. He was lost in thought. It flattered her that he was so responsible that he was always clear-headed. A blush bloomed on her cheeks. 'Fuwa Kyoko'.

Even later that evening she was thinking, who to call and share her happiness. She grew cloudy. The list wasn't a long one. 'But maybe it is better this way?' she thought. Quiet weddings had their own charms. She blushed again. That was the best day of her life!

The next day

She was woken up by rustling. Kyoko opened her eyes to see her fiancé. He was getting ready for work. She started to feel suspicious.'Why is he going there so early in the morning?' occurred her mind. "Um, Sho… is everything all right?" she asked quietly, somehow shy. "Yup, why asking?" he muttered angrily. "Nothing! I'm sorry for asking! Please, forgive me!" she was already awaken. He smirked. She was always like that. "If you don't want me to change my mind about yesterday, you better be careful." she paled. "I have a lot to do. Bye." Before she was able to react he shut the door. 'I made him angry again. What kind of horrible fiancée am I?'.

Sho came to his studio to find some quiet place. Of course he didn't have so much to do here, but he had some call to be done. "Hello mother. We might have a problem." he tried to sound sad. "What's this Sho?" he smirked again. "Kyoko refused my proposal. As much as I approve your decision, I can't make her unhappy." "Oh, that's a very interesting thing." he felt something bad coming. "She called us half an hour ago to share good news. She didn't sound sad." 'Holy crap!' "Um, she changed her mind or something…?" "Shotaro, stop fooling around. You have better treat her nicely and make sure that she doesn't know about this conversation. Right?" "Yes, mum." he said obediently. After this call he felt more and more frustrated. 'What to do? What to do?'

Kyoko got ready for her first job today. She wondered, whether it would change after their weeding. As his wife she would have more responsibilities. 'Stop thinking about it!' she blushed. She hoped that nobody could read her mind. She was ashamed of herself. 'He… might want to kiss me! What should I do? Maybe practise. But how?' she regretted not having any friends to ask some questions. 'Never mind. As long as Sho is happy, I will do my best!'. More motivated than ever she came to her workplace.

The day flew by as usual, well maybe more quickly than ever, because her mind was full of Sho. She didn't discuss with him, if she could tell her employers about her new status. She was so excited! She still didn't have her ring, so she thought that her declaration would be more natural with some proof of it. She smiled lovely. Few days ago she was so tired and she even though of giving up… 'Stop it, Kyoko! You can not live without Sho. Moreover running away from him would break his heart!'. Oh, how far from the truth was she back then!

Kuniko-san, the same girl, who bought two Sho's posters, was talking again about her idol. Kyoko had this crazy idea to tell them that she was the next Fuwa Kyoko, but she thought that they would call her insane. Her life was insane without it, so she gave up. "He's so goood! I heard his next single would be more amazing then ever!" Kuniko cheered happily. "He's a real genius, isn't he?" Kyoko nodded unconsciously. They saw it. "Oh right Kyoko-chan, you like Fuwa Sho as well.", "Um, yes I do." she blushed again. Her cheeks somehow got used to it. "What do you think of him?"."Oh, he is the best of course!" she smiled. "The girl, who would be dating him, must be the luckiest one on the whole world!". "Yes, I agree." said Kuniko. "But I don't think he would make an official statement about his relationship.". "Why?" asked astonished Kyoko. "Isn't that obvious? Most of his fans are girls, who dream of being his one and only. Saying that he is already taken may hurt his popularity." "It can't happen!" shouted Kyoko. Girls giggled. "Oh Kyoko, you look so cute! Ha, ha!". "Um, thanks for everything, but I should get going." she ran away as fast as possible. 'She acts somehow weird.' thought her co-worker.

Later she met Sho again. She was so happy that he would come home more often. 'I will never get used to it.' Kyoko tried to predict what kind of mood had Sho that day. Not being able to precise it, she asked "Sho, about our e..engagement, um… can I inform my employers about it?"

'Great, another problem to deal with.' he thought slightly annoyed. "I didn't tell you this, but we should keep our relationship a secret. Do you mind?", "No, not at all. I understand… ." But she didn't. She thought about her previous conversation with girls, but something felt odd. 'He can't be embarrassed of me, can he?'.

 **AN/ Oh, finally! I was so excited to write a new chapter, but at the same time I felt a huge pressure. In the end your encouragement helped me! Yesterday, when first person added my fanfic to followed ones, I was so incredibly happy! The last time I felt like that was about two years ago, so I can say that you brought back happiness to my life :) . For that I want to thank you very much! Hope you liked this chapter and see you soon!**


	3. Everything in between

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 3

Everything in between

His throat hurt again. Bad timing. He was to go for an out-of-town shooting soon. Yashiro was cold, so he could not count on him right now. He sighed. It was first time for him to be ill. His temporary manager from LME didn't see any symptoms or decided to ignore them in order not to get involved in more work. He tried to get up from his bed, but somehow Ren didn't have enough energy to do so. It was really a bad timing.

Lately everything was going downhill. First that annoying musician trying to start a fight, then that weird tentekomai word, Yashiro being unable to work with Ren and finally him having cold. And as for his acting, no matter which offers he accepted, he felt like his goal was more and more distant from him. He sighed again. Maybe he would take a nap for a second and fell better afterwards. Soon he felt his mind drifting from conscious as he fainted.

At the same time Kotonami Kanae was complaining about recent events. Failing LME auditions was one thing, but loosing Curara ad to Erika was like a final blow. She felt like she would never run away from that girl's influence. Today she had another audition to a small entertaining agency. After LME one, she tried to sign contract with someone else, but she found herself failing over and over again. Slowly loosing hope, she got ready for that day.

And then there was Maria. Well, her life didn't change much lately. She was disturbing every actor despite Ren and she was enjoying herself. Sometimes though, she felt like something was missing. Then she would try to occupy her mind with something else and forget that weird sensation. It worked well enough.

Sho was still trying to find a way out of this stupid situation. It helped him that Kyoko didn't say a word about their relationship to anyone. 'Heh, obedient as always.' And while he was trying to solve his problem, the wedding preparations were starting to get serious. Kyoko bought a magazine with new wedding dress collection. Although she knew that it was way too expensive for her, she liked the idea of Sho making surprise gift for her and him buying her dream dress. She blushed for the hundredth time this week. 'Ah, stop Kyoko for kami's sake!'.

Then she saw this photo. "The dress" as she named it, was the most beautiful thing she has ever seen (despite Corn of course, but he wasn't a thing). It was a long, modest dress with only one extravagant element – Cinderella's sleeves. She fell for it instantly. Slightly shy she asked Sho for an opinion. "Way to expensive" he said looking only at the price. "I know, but do you like this design?", 'Like hell, it's the last thing I want to do now… or ever.', "No." Kyoko wasn't satisfied with his answer. "So which one do you like?". Sho was really angry, but he wanted to end this as soon as possible, so he looked at the prices. "This one." he showed her short dress. 'I guess the less fabric is needed, the lower the price is.' She didn't like it at all. "Don't get to worked up for it." he said. "My parents may want us to have more traditional wedding. They don't seem to like western style ones." She was more than disappointed, but tried to hide it, so Sho wouldn't be angry at her.

Later that evening she was watching TV, while Sho was taking a shower. One ad drew her attention. She saw two blonde girls running through endless meadows. Kyoko found herself allured by girl's school uniforms. She found herself saddened. 'Marriage… isn't it too fast? Most of girls my age are still going to high school. It's time to fall in love, not to legitimise this feeling. Thinking about age…!' sudden thought occurred her mind. She had to be at least twenty years old to marry someone without her parent's agreement. Since she didn't know her father and her mother… was a totally different story, her dream wedding may have to wait. 'Four years!' She finally found her happiness and the whole world was trying to steal it from her. 'I'm pathetic.'

Lost in thoughts she didn't see Sho coming. "Sup? What's on TV? Kyoko smiled. "Oh, Sho! You're just in time. The show hasn't started yet." she said, deciding that it would be easier to talk about important things later. "How was your shower?", "Good, I guess." he sat down on a couch and smiled seeing his favourite pudding. 'At least she's not hopeless.' They watched silently Yappa Kimagure Rock or they would watch it silently if Sho wasn't laughing like that. It make Kyoko really happy. "It's a good episode, but not as good as the one with you." she praised him. His ego was stroked. "Of course it was the best one!", 'Thanks to the easy questions though.' his mind reminded him.

The mood was quite good, so Kyoko said "Sho, we might have a problem.", 'Another one?', "What's wrong?", "My age. Your parents approve our engagement, so it's not a problem, but I lost touch with my mother and I need her acceptance." Sho cursed. "It was my mother's idea after all, so she must find a way to solve it." he said it straight. Then there was a long, unpleasant silence. "You mean WHAT?!", 'Crap.', "I.. I mean she encouraged me right after my decision about marrying you, so she must know how to get your permission." before she could question his words, he leant his face closer to her and without any doubt kissed her cheek.

She suddenly forgot about previous conversation and accusation. To precise she forgot about everything. With face more red than a beet, her heart nearly gave away. All her worries vanished as she felt like it was a prelude to their married life. She was so distracted that the only thing that she remembered from the show was that Bo the Chicken was more amusing than few months ago.

At least not everything was falling apart.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I'm so glad you're here with me! This time I wanted to show how the lives of other characters changed without Kyoko with them. Hope you liked it ;) .**


	4. Full of hot air

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 4

Full of hot air

"Sho we might have a problem." It was funny, how quickly he got used to this words. He wasn't even annoyed, nothing like that could get him down any more. "What's wrong Shoko-san?" he asked. "Have a look at this." she gave him some tabloid newspaper. The cover showed photo of him and Kyoko going to their apartment. "Crap.", "Exactly. The media wants some statement from our agency about your relationship." informed him Shoko. "How much do they know?", "Luckily not much. They don't seem to know Mogami-san's name, but it surely will change soon. We must act first." Sho sighed. "Any ideas?", "Well, there is something we can do." she muttered already knowing his reaction.

...

"NO WAY! It will never happen!" he shouted not controlling himself any more. "Do you have a better plan?" doubted Shoko. "We can say that she is my childhood friend. It's not even a lie." said Sho visibly proud of himself. "And how does it connect with you going to one house late at night?", "Can't friends meet any time? I'm busy and don't have much free time. It would be a great excuse." Shoko closed her eyes for a second and said carefully: "Sho, I know my idea is not the best one, but we don't have any other choice. Come one, it can't be that bad!", "You don't know her. She's not only plain and boring, but totally untalented. Maybe if it was about cooking she would be good enough, but not this. It's way to important to me." Shoko sighed. "OK, so here is other choice: public statement about your engagement. Honestly, I wouldn't choose that. It can hurt your popularity more than the previous idea. I give you one hour. Make up your mind."

Few hours later he took his phone and called Kyoko. "Yo.", "Um, hi Sho! Is something wrong?", "Why asking? Can't I call my fiancée once a while?" she blushed at the way he called her. "No, it's not like that! It's just… you don't call without any reason.", "You guessed right. Are you back home?", 'Is he caring about me?', "Not yet. I just ended my work in Darumaya.", "Good, stay here. I'm going to pick you up." before she could answer, he hung up. She felt her head spinning. 'It's too much. Not only taking care of me, but also picking me up! And that k..kiss yesterday! My life is really changing right now!' Kyoko waited for him overexcited.

About twenty minutes later she saw Sho parking in front of the restaurant. Trying not to make any commotion, she quickly got into the car. "Hi Sho!", "Hi" he answered coldly. "Um.. thank you very much for coming. You didn't have to.", "Sure I didn't." he muttered. They drove in silence, when Kyoko realised that they weren't coming to their house. "Where are we going?" she asked slightly hesitantly. "Somewhere safe. I'll tell you more details, when we get there." Successfully closing her mouth, they stayed in silence another twenty minutes.

When Sho finally stopped, she started to look around to the unknown surrounding. It was luxury apartment area, definitely more expensive to live than their own. "Come here." he guided her to one of the apartment on top of the skyscraper. She was more than surprised to see keys in Sho's hand. "How did you get these?" she asked. "I live here, when I don't come to our home." he asked impassively. "What?!", "Hush, you don't want to wake my neighbours, do you? Just come in and I will tell you something important." Kyoko felt that something bad was coming.

The apartment was a huge and luxury one. 'How can he afford it?'. "OK, so here is the reason this is happening." he showed her that cheesy newspaper. Her eyes went wide as she saw the title: "Fuwa Sho's secret lover! Handsome bachelor not single any more?". Even though she was confused, she could tell that the title was a really bad one and so was the whole tabloid. And then there was that photo. She paled. It didn't show anything spectacular, but it was definitely enough to make a huge rumour. "We couldn't come back home as if nothing had happened. Most probably it is drowning with paparazzi.", "Oh Sho, I'm so sorry!" she fell on the floor to show full dogeza. "I should have waited for you to come and than go back myself! Please, forgive me!", 'Maybe it won't be difficult to convince her to help me.' he thought. "Yes, you should. It's no use crying over spilt milk though. You can help me.", "I'll do anything!" she volunteered willingly.

"My PV shooting was postponed again." he said. Kyoko didn't know how it could be related to their problem, but she let him speak. "We should make an official statement about our relationship. My manager and I think that we can lie a little bit.", "And what would we tell them?" she asked not content about telling untruth. "That you are my co-actress in Prisoner's video. I invited you to my house to tell you more details etc." she was stunned. "B...but h...how? I'm not an actress and I'm not going to act in that PV… right?" she asked suddenly petrified. Sho sighed. "Yes, you are. You promised me to help, didn't you?", "Yes, but I cannot act.", "It's not difficult. Most probably you will just be yourself, blindly in love with me." he winked at her. She didn't like the way he told it. "And there would be a reward for you. Here, let me give you some forecast." he quick kissed her on the other cheek.

Just like yesterday, she wasn't ready for it so Sho had a peaceful evening. They watched TV, when they heard an announcement. "Most desirable man in Japan and famous actor Tsuruga Ren neglecting his work. Unexpected absence of actor froze the shooting. Let's hear, what kind of explanation does Tsuruga-san have.", "First of all, I deeply apologise for everything. I was cold for the first time in my life and my condition didn't allow me to do my job properly. I know it's just an excuse, but still I hope you and the director will forgive me one day." Sho started laughing. "Ha ha ha! Finally Pretty boy face made some mistake! Just watch out Tsuruga! I'm gonna take your place in all women's hearts!", 'Finally something good to hear!' he thought. Kyoko smiled as she saw his happiness.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! This chapter was not planned xp. I was about to write something else, when this idea attacked me. I like to think that some things are bound to happen and one of those things is Kyoko's acting in Fuwa's PV. Hope you like it and see you soon!**


	5. A figure without a name

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters. Surprising, isn't it ~?**

Chapter 5

A figure without a name

The next morning Kyoko finally realised that she got into hot water. She could not act, not even in her wildest dreams. She was so scared that she might destroy Sho's video! 'Maybe I still have a chance to pull out of it.' she thought. "Good morning Sho." she said while making them breakfast. "Morning." he said with sleepy voice, which made Kyoko smile slightly. She hated waking him up early, so she thought to make him a surprise breakfast. "Smells good. What's this?", "Nothing special, really. Just some miso soup with fried eggs.", "Nice." he complimented her, which made her heart beat like crazy.

Being aware of nice atmosphere, she asked: "Um Sho… is there any chance that we will give up this idea with me acting. It's not like I don't like it or don't want to help you! No! It's just that… I don't want to disappoint you." she spoke too quickly to be understood. "What? Can you repeat?". She said everything once again, this time trying to calm herself down. Sho frowned. "I don't like this idea either, but there's nothing we can do about it." Kyoko saddened. 'It's not like I didn't know about it… But hearing it from him saying it so casually makes my heart ache. Why does he hate it so badly?'

"Oh, I almost forgot. The director and her crew are trying their best to change the scenario, so it wouldn't be so hard for an amateur like you, so cheer up." somehow it didn't cheer her up. "Later I will tell you more details. I hope there won't be any delays." his words reminded something Kyoko. "The shooting is to be made this Friday, right?", "Yup. Something wrong with this date?" she tried to ignore the fact that she had told him it already. "Actually I have to work then. I can't neglect my duties like that.", Sho came closer to her. "Are you trying to say that some stupid work is more important than me?" ironic, isn't it? Kyoko could ask him the same question, but instead she said: "So, what can I do?", "Dunno, maybe give up your jobs. We have enough money." it reminded her that he bought that huge apartment. She wanted to ask him first about it, but he was getting ready to leave. "Wait! I can't do this like that!", "It's your choice: me or your work." and he left their house. 'Ugh, he forgot his bentou.'

She made a scenario what would she say during her last day at work. Two first workplaces weren't difficult. There were a lot of people working, so her giving up would not be considered as a loss. She was scared about Darumaya. She really liked Taisho and his wife. They were always so caring. She felt like betraying them. It would be difficult to find another worker in a short period of time. 'Will they be mad at me?'. She couldn't stand the thought of her disappointing them. 'Why being with Sho is so hard?'

When she opened the door to the restaurant she smelled a nice scent of delicious food. It helped her relax a bit. She was slightly sad that she would never get a chance to learn all of their magnificent recipes. Okami-san somehow managed to sense her bad mood so she asked: "Kyoko-chan, is everything OK?" she asked worried. "Yes, I mean no! It's… I have to quit my job here. I'm so sorry." Taisho heard last two sentences. "Why are you doing it? Someone's threatening you? If so, give my his name and I'll make sure that he will regret it right away." Kyoko was touched by their reaction. 'It feels as if they were my parents.' she blushed. "No, it's not like that. It's just… I have other job now and I am not able to do these two things simultaneously.", "If that's the case, it's OK. But remember that you are always more than welcomed here, so come back if you have an opportunity." said Okami-san giving Kyoko encouraging smile. She instantly felt better. After her last day there she hugged both owners, slightly embarrassed. 'Is that what people feel when they have loving family? Wow, they really should appreciate it.' She waved goodbye and looked for the last time at the place that were like her home. Trying ignore her tears, she left.

That evening Sho came back with a new scenario. Kyoko was kind of intrigued. It could be a huge opportunity for her… somehow. Sho's stomach growled. He regretted not taking his bentou with him to work. As much as he hated the idea of praising Kyoko loud, he must admit that she was a great cook. He could tell that she was impatient, waiting for him to tell her more about her role, but he was hungry. Eating slowly, he was watching her sitting quietly. 'As obedient as always. Maybe she won't be so bad as a wife after all.'

"You got lucky here. It's a fantasy story." he said finally. "About fairies!?", "Nope. About a demon and two kind angels." she accepted this version as well. "One of the angels fall in love with the demon. They can't control their feeling even though it's forbidden." Kyoko could feel tears in her eyes. "It all ends quickly as the other angel finds out about their relationship and kills the devil." she shouted surprised. "Please don't tell me that I have to act as the bad angel! I don't want to hurt you!" Sho smirked. "Of course you won't play that angel. It's way to difficult and complex role for you. Let the professionals do their job.", "So it means...",

"Yes." he said. "You're gonna play the angel that falls in love with me."

 **AN/ Hi! I got so excited about all of your feedback! It makes me believe that I'm not wasting my and your time. Thank you so much! You're the best! I found it funny how this story got out of control. Two days ago I had totally different plan for it and when I sit down to write something it turns out to be something else. It's somehow exciting. Hope you have a good day and see you soon~!**


	6. A little bit of heaven

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 6

A little bit of heaven

She woke up early, not sure what to expect from the day. She though for a second when her shift starts, when she realised that she didn't work there any more. Somehow uncertain about her new situation, she took quick shower and got ready for the day. Sho was already prepared. Kyoko liked the idea of going to the work with her fiancé. She smiled trying to hide her worries.

They came to the studio little too early so Kyoko asked Sho to show her around. He made some videos here, so he knew most of the places. She was overwhelmed by that place. So many rooms! Although she was nervous, she enjoyed it right then.

Haruki Asami was very professional lady, who started to like Kyoko right away. The girl was polite and cute in some way, so she felt like she would act well enough. She gave her script, which was accepted shyly. The other actress was still not there, so Kyoko had some more time to calm herself down. Everyone were so nice to her! Even though she wasn't a real actress, she was greeted warmly and that made her more anxious. Sho didn't put a lot of effort to help her with these new circumstances.

Finally Mimori Nanokura arrived at the studio. Kyoko was ready to bow and greet her, when the young girl run towards her and shouted: "YOU! It's all your fault! How could you?!" Kyoko didn't know how to answer that accusation. "If it wasn't you, I would be playing Sho-chan's lover! I hate you, hate you, hate sooo much!" she tried to start a fight, when Sho stopped her. Not that he cared about Kyoko, he just didn't want any delays. "Calm down Pochi. We've discussed it before, haven't we?" he asked quietly. "She's a talentless newbie. She can't do stuff just like professionals. You must help me." he whispered slightly ashamed of his words. "But… Sho-chan, can you promise me that next time I will be your lover.", "You can be my lover any time." he said with seductive voice.

Kyoko looked at the scene in front of her eyes with mixed feelings. She liked the fact that he helped her, but something was wrong with the way they stood next to each other. Way too close. Director was observing the situation and decided to interfere. "Kyoko-san, can I call you that? I heard it's your stage name." Kyoko blushed after hearing her last words. "Um, yes Asami-san.", "Great. Can we have your make-up done?" Kyoko immediately forgot about previous scene. Her eyes sparkled as she came to the next room. Haruki knew that she would be excited, but she didn't predict that reaction.

Half an hour later, Kyoko was ready. She didn't believe that it was still her. Her blonde wing was long and wavy and the lightly blue dress fitted perfectly. Sho's attention was back on her, which made her satisfied. He was more than surprised. 'Wow, she can be beauty if she wants. Make up is really dangerous.' At the same time Mimori tried to kill her rival with her eyes. It didn't work. Sho didn't look like that at her, when she was dressed up. Does that mean that the rumours are true and he likes that plain girl?

The first scene started. Kyoko felt uncomfortable in front of the camera for the first time, so they had to repeat that scene. Mimori smiled. She was way better than her. Kyoko felt ashamed. 'Uh, Kyoko! Get yourself together! You're here to help Sho, not to disappoint him.', "I'm truly sorry. I will do my best from now on." she thought how should she act. Mimori didn't want to cooperate. Kyoko didn't have a friend, but she watched some TV shows and she dreamt about it before falling asleep. She closed her eyes and found her angel.

"And action!" the beautiful angel opened its eyes to looked at her best friend. They were inseparable. Their relation was the best thing in her life and she cherished it. She smiled lovingly and saw her friend smile back. They played together, laughed and enjoyed their time together. They didn't see the demon looking at one of them.

"Cut!" the director was shocked. It was perfect scene. The way Kyoko acted surprised her positively. For the first time she thought that Kyoko could be a great actress and maybe it was destined to happen. "We will record it once more to make sure we got all perfect angles and stuff. Good job, it was great." Kyoko blushed and smiled. It was more fun then she thought it could be.

The break was tiring for Kyoko. Sho didn't pay any attention to her and was flirting with her co-actress. She knew that he did this in order to calm that girl down, but it didn't feel right. They were to get married. Shouldn't he be more aware of her feelings?

Next scene should be easier, but it wasn't. Kyoko knew that she loved Sho, but she couldn't express her feelings properly. She blushed to much or didn't look at his eyes. After seventh take, they made another break. She tried not to look at Mimori, but that girl was doing her best to speak as loud as possible to get Kyoko down. "As expected. She can't even act the easiest scene in the script. I feel so bad for you Sho-chan. You must act as if you loved her. You're the only true actor here."

Kyoko felt like garbage. 'Think Kyoko, think. How did you feel when you saw Sho for the first time?". It wasn't the most pleasant memory. Her mother left here again. She was happy to make a new friend, but it didn't erase the sorrow in her heart. 'Think Kyoko! When was the last time you felt like falling in love?' And then she remembered one face.

"Corn."

 **AN/ Hello again! Two chapters in one day. What a plot twist~! I should have been studying and here I am posting a second chapter. Let's pretend it's studying English ;p. Hope you liked it and see you soon!**


	7. But a little bit of hell

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 7

But a little bit of hell

Two young men watched a video together, both lost in thoughts. When it finally ended the one of them smiled at his friend and asked: "So? What do you think?". The older sat in silence for a while, then answered: "It was good enough, I guess. But...", "Yes?", "The ending. Was horribly dissatisfying." he admitted. "I've got the same impression. Also… is there anything that caught your eye?" they stayed in silence for a little longer. "Well, both girls are quite pretty, but I can't tell if there is something special about them. I'm mostly disappointed about the other girl. She could not be more emotionless while killing that demon. Not a single tear nor regret. Nothing.", "Thanks for your opinion. I can see now, why people aren't amazed. The other girl destroys the effect. But please, can you look at the first one, who was in love with a demon?" he rewound the video to the moment, when angel fall for the demon.

"She's cute, but that's all. I can show you thousands of girls better than her." said the older man. "You're impatient as always." he stopped the PV. "Now. Look at her eyes." slightly annoyed man looked at the eyes of an angel and than he found it. "It's not only the happiness and affection. There's a … sorrow. Somewhere deep inside. As if she knew that it would not last long… . OK, you got me intrigued." finally the younger one smiled. "I want her to act in my drama." he said it straight. "What? The only role left is Mio and I can't see her as the bad one." the younger man sighed. "Of course she wouldn't play Mio. She's too innocent. I was thinking about the role that is already occupied.", "You can't be serious right?", "I'm one hundred percent serious. You can call Oohara Airi and say sorry for me. I found a perfect Hongo Misao.", "Kijima-san's gonna be angry. You're a crazy director.", "But still a director." smiled Hiroaki Ogata.

Later that day a phone call was made. "Yes, Asami-san. I have her contact info." said Shoko, trying to hide anxiety in her voice. She knew that someone's not gonna be happy about that. "Unfortunately she does not have her own mobile phone, so I must contact her through other person. Is that a problem?", "No, as long as that person can keep secrets. I will leave you director Ogata's phone number. Please make sure she contacts him as soon as possible. He seems to have huge expectations even though she's a beginner actress.", "Of course. Thank you for calling.". As soon as the call ended Shoko sat down on a sofa with demotivated face expression. 'It won't end up good. I can sense some dangerous situation.' Struggling with thoughts, she tried to find some solution or words that will make it easy to talk to Sho about it. An hour passed and she was still in the same place. 'Oh, luckily he has a long day at work today. I have still some more time.'

Kyoko was bored. She should be happy – finally she had a whole day for herself. But instead of enjoying it, she found herself doing pointless domestic duties. She regretted giving up her jobs. She talked about it with Sho the day before, but he was relentless. "Our wedding is going to be soon. You have a lot of things to." although she was happy that he wanted to marry her soon, she didn't know his true reasons. 'We have a deadline. My parents know me way to well. They prevented me from postponing that disastrous day.'

When she finished her duties, she decided to cook something special for Sho. The PV was published that day and she felt like it would be a chance for them to celebrate. She blushed a little. 'Oh, I'm acting as his wife again!'. When Sho came back, he was definitely in a bad mood. "The video is crappy." he blurted out unexpectedly. "We've got a lot of bad reviews." Kyoko paled. "Oh Sho, I'm so sorry! It is all my fault!" he didn't want to disagree. 'Technically it was that little doggy's fault… but she doesn't need to know it.', "Of course it is. At least rumours stopped. Now, let me take a shower.", "But yours food is ready.", "I have already ate."

Kyoko was terrified. 'What did I do? How can I help him?'. Sho's mobile rung. She was hesitant, but she saw that it was Shoko. She picked up. "Hello Shoko-san. It's Mogami Kyoko. Sho's taking a shower.", "Oh, hello Mogami-san. I hoped you would pick up." she was dumbfounded. "Why?", "Why did you disagree on this offer?", "What offer?" Kyoko was puzzled. 'Oh, that little brat!' though Shoko. "Mogami-san, you were offered a role in a drama thanks to that video. Sho was to tell you it, but he called me to tell that you rejected it." Kyoko's head was spinning. She somehow ended that conversation politely and waited for Sho to come.

"Why didn't you tell me about that offer?" she asked right after he ended his shower. 'Ugh. How did she know?', "Because you're not a real actress. Can't you see it? You've got no talent and you got that role only thanks to my influence. Moreover look at the comments under my PV. It's a real disaster!" she wasn't convinced. "Why? Why can't you give me that chance?", 'You would become way to independent. You must be mine, no matter what.' he thought possessively. 'Especially after your angel side was discovered.', "You should be preparing our wedding. I thought it was your biggest dream. Guess I was wrong."

She tossed and turned whole night. Kyoko didn't know, why she was so devastated. 'Being with Sho was always my one and only dream. Did it change? And why acting?' No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find an answer.

 **AN/ Oh my… So much reviews, so many visitors! I still don't believe it. You guys are awesome! I know that all of you wait for Ren to appear, but I don't want it to be so easy. Hope you will wait for it and stay with me 'til the end. See you soon!**


	8. Under a burning sky

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 8

Under a burning sky

She decided to listen to her heart. She woke up earlier than Sho, took his mobile phone and memorised the Shoko's number. Before he could got off on the wrong foot, she went out to look for a phone box. When she found it, she dialled the number. "Um, hello Shoko-san. I hope I didn't call you too early?" she said already regretting her action. "No, it's OK. I was getting ready for work. Did something happen?", "No, not at all. I was just wondering if I could get director's phone number. If it's not too late of course!", "No, it's not. He gave me few days. It's a good news Kyoko-san. I will give you it right away." Kyoko memorised the number again and after exchanging pleasantries, she hung up. She took a deep breath and called the director. "H… hello?" said director Ogata with sleepy voice. "I'm so sorry for calling so early!" she shouted way too loud for someone, who just woke up. Director chuckled and said: "Don't worry about it. I should have got up ten minutes ago. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking, please?", "I'm sorry for not saying it earlier. My name is Mogami Kyoko and I got your number from Shoko Aki.", "Oh, it's Kyoko-san, right? Do you want to talk about my offer?", "Yes, if it's possible.", 'She's so polite. It would be pleasure to work with her.', "OK, so how about a meeting… let's say around 10:30. Do you have some time then?" she didn't want to admit that she always had time. She agreed and wrote down the address.

And then she woke up. Kyoko looked around dizzily. It was her room. She didn't call Shoko-san or director Ogata. She shook her head trying to stop her mind from spinning around. 'What kind of twisted dream was that?' Once again she asked herself, why it was so important for her. The answer was still unknown. "I guess I am just bored and I need to find some hobby." Planning the wedding could be difficult, if it was a big party. It wasn't. The only guests were Sho's parents and people connected to their ryokan. She knew most of them, so it wasn't that bad. She called Sho's mother, who promised to take care of their outfits, place for wedding reception and the decorations. Kyoko was left with deciding, where to go for their honeymoon. Sho told her that he wanted to visit Guam. 'It's the cheapest idea.' he thought proud of himself.

She went out not knowing the direction, which she chose. She let her feet lead her. 'I want to act. That's a fact. The moment I though about Corn I felt really happy and wanted to show these feelings in front of camera. I really enjoyed it. I know it's not useful in real life, but… I want to give it a go." she thought. 'Acting in drama is no use right now. Sho would hate me if I did so. Eh, what can I do?' and then she saw a poster. "Acting courses for beginners in LME.", "That's it!" she shouted not knowing that she said it loud. Than she looked at the price. 'Do people really have so much money to spend?' she saddened. 'But maybe this course is especially expensive, because it's in best acting agency in Japan? Yes, that must be the case!' she run to the closest library. "I'm sorry, is there a place, where I can use a computer?" the librarian took her to the multimedia part. She quickly typed "acting courses" trying to calm down her heart, which seemed to skip a beat. She found some affordable ones relatively close to her house. 'Now another problem. Sho is responsible for our money. I must ask him for advance payment and monthly expenses.' she though for a second about lying to him, but she hated the idea of deceiving her future husband. The only solution seemed crazy, but she was crazy enough to try it out. She found a phone box (real one this time) and called Sho's mother. She didn't tell her, why she needed that money, but she promised that she will give everything back one day. 'She seems to be unaware of the fact that one day we will become family and she doesn't need to care so much about the money, especially this little amount of it. Oh, well, she's very well-raised.' though okami.

Kyoko was on cloud nine. She immediately came to the place, where she would be studying acting soon. The courses has already started and each room had huge windows, so she could see her future class-mates. 'Or something like that.' She was so cheerful and euphoric that she unwittingly attracted attention. "Hello miss. Can I help you somehow?" Kyoko blushed, caught while being in la-la land. "Um, hello. My name is Mogami Kyoko and I would love to attend an acting courses here." she smiled shyly. 'There's something weird about her. The courses are about to end and she's willing to start it now. And I feel like I had seen her somewhere before.', "Did you attended any of our courses before?" he smiled. "No, I didn't.", "Sorry for asking, but do have any acting experience?" Kyoko smiled sadly, which nearly broke his heart. He felt a huge need to hug her and tell her that it's going to be OK. Shocked of his thoughts, he blushed. "No, I don't. I just recently thought that I may like it." she could not tell him the truth about Sho's PV, because he told her to keep it a secret. "It doesn't really matter, so don't worry! After our courses you will float in offers." which wasn't exactly true, but he felt like it may happen. "Why don't you come in?" Oh, where are my manners? My name is Azuma Uneki. For the next few months I'm gonna be your teacher."

 **AN/ And here I am again, doing things that I didn't plan. I guess characters in this story are stronger than me ;) . And who is Azuma Uneki, I'm asking myself. He wasn't planned. But the moment I created him I knew that he will become an important part of this fanfic. First love rival, maybe? And again I made two chapters in one day. It's not gonna be my habit, but I found myself distracted while doing things not connected with writing. Hope you have a good day and see you soon!**


	9. Fog out the daylight

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 9

Fog out the daylight

Kyoko talked to Azuma-san for a long time. He was an athletic built man with dark black hair and the same colour of eyes. They had similar interests so they couldn't feel the time change. When Kyoko shivered from cold for the first time, they realised that it was already an evening. They quickly said their goodbyes and came back home. Kyoko was extremely happy. 'I found my first friend in Tokyo!' At the same time Uneki was trying to figure out what was happening with his mind. 'It must be the cold. Yes, cold indeed.'

When Kyoko saw her apartment, she noticed that the lights were on. She gulped. Kyoko was welcomed with shouting: "Where have you been so late?!", she tried to find some answer that wouldn't be a lie, but in the end she said: "I started cooking classes. The first lesson was a team building meeting at the same time, so I ended later then I will end normally.", "Team building? In cooking classes. Ugh, they really want a lot of your money. Talking about money… how did you get cash for it?". Kyoko tried to come up with a good answer, but she found herself lying to her fiancé for the second time in one day. "I got some savings from my previous jobs. I thought I could use them in some practical way. You know… cooking for my future husband." As much as Sho hated the idea on her spending money, he agreed that her skills in this area could be better. "I guess it's quite clever. OK, learn as much as you need." It almost felt as a compliment. She hugged him as a thanks.

That night she had a weird dream again. She was in some kind of meeting. She didn't know anyone there, when the last person in the room introduced. 'Tsuruga Ren.' And then she woke up. Thinking about her plan for a day, she quickly forgot about it. She had her first lesson at 10 am; but Uneki asked her to come at 9.30, so they could discuss some important matters. It was a little suspicious that he didn't tell her that yesterday, but she was too dense to realise it.

"Good morning Azuma-san!", Good morning Mogami-san. Thanks for coming so early." they sat down. "You may probably know, but our courses started about two months ago." he started. "After courses you will be tested and if you pass, you'll get our diploma. It doesn't give you a lot of profits, but it sure shows that you know basics about acting. It's worth having." he smiled encouragingly. "You missed a lot of lessons. In this situation we must give you some extra ones in private. However most of our teachers are already occupied, so I will be in charge of helping you to catch up. I hope you don't mind it.", "No, of course. I will be really glad to have your help. Please, take care of me." she bowed making his heart beat faster. They chatted a little, when one man came into the room and disturbed them. "I'm sorry for intruding, but I need Uneki for a second. Is it a bad timing?", "No, not at all!" quickly said Kyoko and got up. "Mogami-san, let me introduce you my brother Azuma Kouki." they both shared some pleasantries and then Kyoko walked out of the room.

They stayed in a silence for a while, then Uneki said: "OK, you can start teasing me.", "How did you know that I planned it?" Uneki sighed. "Your smile. I know you long enough to know it's meaning. So what's so funny?" his brother said only: "Extra lessons in private." he slightly pushed Uneki's shoulder. "My, my! You seem to finally grow up!", "Oh, stop it, please." said Uneki while blushing. Kouki started to like this situation.

First Kyoko's lesson was about cooperation with other actors. They had to make a pairs. She looked around to find out that most of the people had already made friends to choose. Trying to stay positive she walked around the room, when she heard some commotion. There was some quarrel at the other side of a classroom. She followed the voices to see a group of young men shouting at each other. "It's my turn!", "No! It was yours yesterday!", "I don't care! She wants to act with me!", "How can you be so sure? Did she tell you this?" Kyoko's eyes met the woman's, who was the reason of the fight. She was a true beauty, no wonder that these men were trying their best to be her partner. Nevertheless that girl didn't seem to be pleased by this. "Mo! Stop it already! I won't be a partner of anyone, who's fighting." her words made them quiet. "Good. Maybe I will be with one of you tomorrow, but for now I'm gonna choose that newbie. You!" she pointed Kyoko. "What's your name?" she felt slightly shy, by the staring gaze of blue eyes. The raven haired girl asked: "Are you deaf? Mo! What's going on with this place!" Kyoko came back to her senses and bowed quickly. "My name is Mogami Kyoko. It's nice to meet you and please, take care of me!" the other woman smiled. "That's better. It's nice to meet you too. My name is Kotonami Kanae and I'm gonna be the best actress in Japan!"

 **AN/ As always I hope you liked it and see you soon!**


	10. A girl like any other

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 10

A girl like any other

Kyoko was speechless for a second. 'Is this a natural way to introduce oneself? Telling your goal? … Let's give it a try then.', "And my dream is to be a perfect wife and get to know about acting!" everyone, who could hear her, burst in laughter. "Wh.. why are you laughing?" she was ashamed. "Ha ha ha! She's the first one to make Kotonami-san be at a loss for words!" Kyoko blushed, which made them laugh more. When they calmed down, they presented themselves. Although she was sure that she could not memorise all of the names, she gave her best to remember as much as possible. 'It can be a part of my courses, right?'Kanae looked at her suspiciously. 'She can't be forthright, can she? Even if it was true, no one would say something like that loud… or maybe it's her goal? To stand out. I must keep an eye on her and see if she's a danger.'

Finally the real lesson started. First – warm up. One person should be acting quickly and the other one try to be their reflection. Kanae quickly took the first role to try out her partner. Kyoko was lost for a few moments, but then she quickly caught up. It intrigued Kanae. 'Well it's noting unusual, really.' she tried to convince herself. 'This game is well known in schools, so she must know it already.' The next task was to act the opposite emotion of the partner. 'Now it's time for a show!' though Kanae. As Kyoko tried to express as much feelings as she could, her mate proved to be close to the professional level. 'She's fast though.' thought Kanae almost out of breath. She felt sweat running down her face. She didn't remember the last time, when she needed more stamina. The last exercise was troublesome for Kyoko. One of them had to act as a film actor, while the other as a theatre one. She could not see a difference. "What's wrong?", "I… I don't understand the command.", "What's so difficult in it? Mo! Film actors are more conservative with expressions, the most important are the eyes and face, while the other ones are almost comical. They seem to look as the caricatures, because it's the only way to be visible by the audience. They can't use close-ups. Do you understand now?" Kyoko nodded happily and thanked for the lecture. 'She's a real beginner.' thought Kanae. 'She shouldn't be dangerous, just typical teenage girl… more or less. But why am I feeling so anxious about her?'

Then she stopped thinking about her new mate, concentrating about her lesson. Today was nothing unusual or really important so she didn't do her best. She must admitted that she liked looking at Kyoko. She had such a serious expression as if it was the most significant things she had ever heard. Kanae chuckled a little and almost instantly regretted it. The other girl noticed it and treated it as a friendly gesture. 'Am I getting another friend here? And a female one in addiction!' she was overexcited. She was bullied in her school thanks to her close relationship with Sho. She always dreamt of having a best friend to share happiness and secrets! Kanae on the other hand hated the idea of getting close to anyone. Trying to change the subject of her thoughts she paid more attention to her instructor.

Azuma-san seemed weird that day. He could easily loose his concentration and he even stuttered a little. She looked at the direction of his eyes and saw Kyoko. 'OK. It's getting interesting. Did he fell for her?' Kanae observed him more and she could not find any other reason of his behaviour. 'I wonder if she's aware of it.' she looked at the girl, who was making a really dumb expression without any cause. 'Nope. No way.' she smirked a little. It was really getting interesting.

The lunch break took about thirty minutes. Kyoko couldn't find any single friendly face in the cafeteria, so she went outside. It was not like people did not accept her, they were just occupied with their own world. 'At least that's what I want to believe in.' she saddened. She couldn't find Kanae and she really wanted to strengthen ties with her. 'Well, maybe next time.' The truth was that Kotonami-san skipped her lunch in order to loose some weight. She was a good actress, so she thought that the reason of her failures was her silhouette.

Uneki found Kyoko sitting under the cherry blossom tree. She looked so defenceless and he wanted to take care of her. 'She's the newest member of the group. It's mu duty to make her feel comfortable here.' he justified himself. "Hello, Mogami-san. How was your first lesson?", "Hello Azuma-san, I didn't see you coming.", "It's no wonder. It must have been my ninja skills." her eyes widened so he explained her: "I act in a small theatre close from here. Once I had a role as a ninja, so I practised whole weeks to move soundless. "Wow, that's really impressive!" he blushed after hearing her compliment. "No, it's nothing. You would act the same if you just tried." her eyes shined. He felt more ashamed than ever. "Um, do you want me to teach you this? We will have some extra lessons tomorrow, so we can make it a part of it." he suggested. "Can we do so? I'd really love it!" Uneki blushed more after hearing the word "love". 'I must have a fever. I'm definitely not myself today.'

The break ended so they came back to the building. Uneki had a lessons with other group, so they bid their goodbye and walked their own directions. Kyoko found herself enjoying every minute there.

 **AN/ Yup. Another chapter posted the same day (or the next one, because it's after midnight in my homeland). I should go sleep now. So if you're reading this before going to bed, please have a good night~! See you soon!**


	11. A beautiful way to fall

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 11

A beautiful way to fall

"I hope you like today's partners." said new female teacher. Kanae could sense the danger coming from that sentence. At the same time Kyoko was nodding like a crazy, attracting attention unwittingly. "Because you're gonna work together for a next week." Kyoko squeaked. "The project will be considered before giving you your final grade, so make sure it's perfect." she announced and then gave them more details. "We believe that your future career depends not only on your abilities but also on good luck. Moreover you have to get some social skills, because cooperating is essential in acting. You never know when you're gonna meet someone not prepared for a shooting and it will depend on you, if you will make a perfect take in a scheduled time. So without further ado, please come closer."

Kyoko stepped forward quickly to see her instructor showing her two boxes. "Today we test your luck. Please choose one box and then take one paper scrap." Immediately feeling anxious, she thought for a second and then chose the second box. Her hand wandered around it and then she took the smallest piece of paper. "Closed eyes". "Eh? What does that mean?", "Wait for a second. Who's your partner?", "Kotonami-san." so the teacher called for her. Kanae looked suspiciously and then chose one paper scrap from the other box. "Friend's quarrel". "OK, so here is your task. You're gonna make a three minute scene about friend's quarrel, but you must do it with your eyes closed. Next pair!" she shouted not giving them a chance to ask some questions (which they had a lot). Other groups did not have easier tasks as well. "Saying goodbye with no facial expression.", "An alien meeting a human for the first time, while using only words starting with the letter A" or "Expressing love without speaking." which was funny, because it was chosen by two males. They tried to argue, but the teacher was ruthless. "You didn't have a good luck, but an opportunity like this may not happen in the future. If you want to become a professional, you must cross your own limits."

Kyoko wanted to meet Kanae after courses to make a brainstorming, but Kotonami-san was way to proud to do so. Also it wasn't the only motive for Kyoko to meet her potential friend. Her main goal was to make sure she becomes her best friend and she loved the idea of eating ice cream together. Feeling slightly heartbroken, she took her bag and got ready to leave. "Do not worry at all! If we're going to fall, we're doing this together." It didn't comfort her.

Uneki really wanted to see her. It was a professional matter, of course. He realised she didn't answer his question about her first lesson. He didn't want to admit it, but her opinion seemed to be unusually important. However he didn't want to scare her with too much attention. She was just like a little bird – you can admire it shyly, but if you come a little closer, it's gonna fly away. He blushed a little, while thinking about it. 'And here I am. A professional actor incapable of hiding his embarrassment. Good thing that no one's looking at me." Or so he thought.

His older brother found Uneki walking around without any purpose. He smiled a little, guessing correctly what was in his brother's mind. He wanted to tease him so badly, but instead he decided to make it more interesting and be a good sibling. 'I hope he won't kill me.'

That day Tsuruga Ren considered his new offer. After his absence on shoot, he had to be extra careful in order not to loose more fans. As far as he hated depending on other people, he knew that fan base was one of the most important factors in his career. He sighed. It might be his long-awaited chance to surpass his father. His Katsuki's role may reinforce his position as a number one actor. On the other hand President really hated the idea of Ren getting that role. 'Playing somebody deep in a forbidden love couldn't be so difficult, right?' but then he quickly disagreed with himself. That role brought the immortal fame to his father. It was not possible to be easy. He sighed again as he slowly drunk the glass of wine. He didn't drink often, but he found this situation exceptional. 'Eh, I can't run away from making decision. Let's just flip a coin.' He let the Fate resolve his problem.

Kyoko really didn't want to come back home. She knew that Sho would ask her some questions about her first day at the courses and she hated lying to someone she loved. 'If I look at this from the perspective of a stranger, he was the first one to lie about my offer. Well, it wasn't a lie in a traditional way of thinking, but he hid some important facts from me. I can do the same for him.' she tried to convince herself. She made some grocery shopping, trying to come home as late as possible to avoid that conversation. Luckily, he wasn't in their apartment at that time. She sighed from relief. 'However he should be home early today.' she asked Shoko for his schedule in order to prepare his meals in time. 'I wonder where he went.'

It was way past midnight when the door finally opened. She woke up on the sofa with TV turned on. "Hello Sho. Where have you been?", "Nnott yor bisnesss." he answered visibly drunk. "I caan du wateva I want!" Kyoko knew how to deal with the customers, who drunk too much, but seeing her beloved one in that state made her heart ache. She helped him in getting to the bed and decided to clean after the dish, that was never eaten. 'At least he didn't ask any questions.'

 **AN/ Oh, so difficult! Today instead of writing I was taking nap. Happy Day of National Education! Thanks to it I will have more time tomorrow to write something more. I'm sorry if you wanted two chapters today as well, but I was too busy while sleeping ;). Hope you have a good day and see you soon~!**


	12. Make it worth it all

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 12

Make it worth it all

Kyoko woke up, not being able to remember her dream, but she felt like it was something weird. 'Ah, whatever.' she was too busy with thoughts to waste her time on dreams. She made a quick breakfast and looked at Sho for a second. Kyoko has never had a hangover, but looking at this agonising face, she decided not to ever touch any alcohol. She flicked his forehead and decided to do something to help him. Not having any experience, she went to the bathroom and opened a cabinet with first-aid kit. It was her first time using it, because it was less than two weeks since she moved to this skyscraper. Kyoko realised that she didn't have a chance to ask Sho about their money, but then she remembered his words from yesterday: "I can do whatever I want." Well, his words more or less. 'I guess it applies to his finances too.' She looked at the cabinet again and was shocked to see that most of the medicine was an Alka-Seltzer. 'Does he drink a lot?' Kyoko was concerned. 'I should do something about it.' She took Sho's mobile phone and dialled one number.

"Um, hello Fuwa-san! I was wondering…" she stumbled. Telling your boyfriend's mum that her son may have a problem with alcohol might be a bad idea. Kyoko didn't want to see Sho's reaction, when he would get to know about it. "Is everything OK, Kyoko-chan? You seem to be sad." she came back to her senses. "Oh, yes. It's nothing peculiar. I just wanted to say hello and ask if everything's going great at the ryokan." Okami-san knew that she was lying, but decided to play it cool. "The ryokan is doing well, thanks for asking. How about you and Sho? Do you spend a lot of time together?" Kyoko felt bad as soon as she heard this question. 'Couples should spend some time together, shouldn't they.' trying to quiet down her feeling she answered: "Not so much, honestly. Sho is spending a lot of time at work and I'm doing my cooking courses." Fuwa-san heard Kyoko's voice tremble, so she decided to change the topic. "Cooking courses? Oh, I guess that's the reason you asked for some money. You should have told me about it right away! You don't have to give me any cash back, because when you come back to ryokan, you will teach us some new recipes, OK?", "Yes!" agreed Kyoko grateful for the sudden change of the topic. If she was more aware that time, she would find the phrase "when you come back to ryokan." a little suspicious.

Later that day Kyoko went to her courses. The morning lesson was with the same female teacher, apparently named Saito Naoko. She approached Kyoko, when she realised that Kotonami-san was absent. "Hello, Mogami-san. I can't see your partner. Is everything OK with her?" black-haired girl couldn't find the answer. They didn't even exchange their phone addresses. Well she didn't have one, so that must have been a reason, right? 'It's not like Kotonami-san don't want to be friends with me.', "Um… I don't know. She didn't tell me anything." her teacher smiled. "She must be working on your project. I'm one hundred percent sure about it." Kyoko looked around to see that most of the pairs had some basic ideas, so they were only improving them right now. "Yes, she's that kind of girl, who gives their best, I guess.", "You're quite observant Mogami-san." it was the first and probably the last time Kyoko had heard this compliment.

"What can I do now?" she asked a bit shyly. Naoko loved rumours, so when she saw Uneki acting weird, she needed only few minutes to know, what was the reason of his awkwardness. She could help him a little… of course to hear some new rumours in the future. "I heard that you and Azuma-san will have some special lessons to help you to catch up with material. I know that he's free right now, so why don't you spend some time together?" Kyoko blushed, because it sounded like her conversation with Okami-san. 'Uh, Kyoko! It's only a coincidence.' Naoko treated her reaction like a proof that this girl had some feelings for him. 'Good for Uneki. They will make a cute couple.', "OK, so I will look for him. Thank you for your advice.", "Don't mention it.", 'I'd love to give more pieces of advice like this. Oh, I hope it will turn out to be a juicy rumour!'

Kyoko found Uneki in front of the vending machine. He looked concerned with his choice. "I'm sorry I'm blocking your way. I'm just trying to figure out what tastes the best, um… Mogami-san?" he blushed, when he realised that the person next to him was no one else, but Kyoko. "Um, I have some free time, so why don't we have a small lesson now?" he blushed even more, but nodded quickly. At the same time, Sho got a phone call from his mother. 'Great, What's now?'

When Kyoko came back from courses she felt a huge déjà vu. Sho was standing in the centre of the room, looking really seriously. "Go on a date with me." he didn't even ask, but again she was too happy to realise it. "Yes, of course!" she shouted and hugged him once more.

 **AN/ This chapter is dedicated to my two friends, who read this story: Peppe Tuna and Pan Młody. It's the first time, when I didn't have enough space in one chapter for the whole idea, so here's your cliffhanger. Ugh, I hate them as well. Today's a free day from school, so I will try to post something new as soon as I come back to my home. I hope you have a good day and see you soon!**


	13. In the blissful unaware

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 13

In the blissful unaware

Uneki was lying down on his bed, thinking about his lessons with Kyoko. He was surprised that she wanted to spend her free time with him, even though it was only a studying matter. He smiled at her and asked, whether she wanted something from the vending machine. Kyoko thanked him, but decided not to overuse his kindness. They found an empty room and started their extra courses.

First of all, he wanted to know, what level of advancement was she. Kyoko answered that she didn't know anything, but he decided that her skills or the lack of them would prove her words. He wanted to encourage her, so he gave her some basic task like showing some kind of emotion. She did well, maybe a little too stiff, but he knew that it was the result of the stress. Then he gave her a script, which he took with himself accidentally. He was surprised to see Kyoko so excited, so he gave her a few minutes to memorise some lines. As she was doing it, he took a risk and glanced at her. She was beautiful in her simplicity. Her long, dark hair was styled in a casual ponytail. Her face was symmetrical and small. The only thing that was unusual were her eyes. Uneki had never seen anyone with golden eyes like hers. What is more they often showed more emotion than her face. It intrigued him. It was a skill that only a few people could achieve.

She looked at him and smiled brightly. "OK. I think I remember everything.", "Are you ready?" he asked. Kyoko closed her eyes for a second and when she opened her, she seemed to be a different person. "Ready." Normally Uneki would stare at her with amazement, but he was a professional, so he got into his role as well. The scene was quite simple. They were playing as a friends, who didn't see each other recently. They had to share some news and doubts about their close future. Uneki tried to stay in character and take notes in his mind about Kyoko's acting. He must admit – she was good. 'If she doesn't have any experience, she must be born to be an actress.' He tried to calm himself down, because he knew that his opinion might be dictated by his unprofessional feelings towards her (he knew that she was special to him, but he didn't want to realise in what way).

When the scene ended, he smiled at her. He really wanted to shout that she was genius, but as far as he knew, it had never helped anyone. So instead he told her that it was quite good and he started to point some small mistakes. "Well, we can work on your diction. And sometimes when you say a difficult word, you seem to speak with some accent. Where are you from?" she blushed a little. She was doing her best to hide the fact that she wasn't from Tokyo. "I'm from Kyoto." he smiled again. "Oh, so that's the meaning of your first name! Ha ha, I could have guessed. Anyway, you're doing great with speaking without that accent in typical situations, but we can train you in some extreme examples. Hmm… the more I think about it the more sure I am that your major problem is your voice. We should start from it."

And that was the way the spent some hours together. He tried to create some new exercises, so she would not leave him, but he couldn't steal all of her day. Uneki smirked as he thought about his first task. "OK, Mogami-san. You will have to read this sentence the way I want you to." she was surprised to see: "What's the weather like?". "Um… I think I don't understand.", "Don't worry, you will see it soon. Just read it." Slightly ashamed she said: "What's the weather like?", "Great! He shouted. You said it in your own way. Now we will change it. Please say it as if you were a child." Kyoko finally understood. "Whaat's the wever laike?" he laughed a little. "I can see, you get it now. Good. Say it as a medieval knight." she thought for a moment and then said it as if something was blocking the way of her voice. "An armour. Nice one. Next one… a nun!" They had a lot of fun. He loved the way she handled all of his choices, even the weird ones like mummy, teacher, father and mannequin. However he noticed the quick change of mood, when he said: "A drunk person." her eyes lost it's spark and suddenly she smiled, trying to hide it. He felt his heart ache. 'There must be a story behind this. I wish I could help her somehow.' In the end he decided to just change the topic and soon she was acting as usual. 'It can't be a façade, right?'

Their lesson was disturbed by Kyoko's stomach, which made some horrendous noises. "At times like this it's even rude to ask, if you are hungry. We must have skipped a lunch break. Did you have any other lessons scheduled for later?", "No, only those with Saito-san, but since Kotonami-san is absent, she told me to have a lesson with you.", "OK, I'll thank her later.", 'Or kill her. Poor Mogami-san. She doesn't know that we will be her newest rumour in no time.' he sighed. "Do you want to eat out? I know some nice cafeteria close to this place." Kyoko would probably disagree if she thought about it as a date, but since she was dense, she agreed happily, giving poor Uneki some hope.

And there he was, lying down on his bed, thinking about a girl, who he should treat only as a student. But his feelings were changing way to quickly to stop them now.

 **AN/ Hello again! Ugh, please don't kill me. I know that you were waiting for a date chapter, but my heart dictated me something else. I promise I will do my best to update 3rd chapter today. I hope you have a wonderful day and see you soon~!**


	14. Getting harder to resist

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 14

Getting harder to resist

They drove in a car, both lost in thoughts. Sho was reminding a phone call with his mother. 'How does she know that we don't act like a typical couple?' he looked at the girl next to him. 'She couldn't have told her, could she?' At the same time Kyoko was panicking. 'Where are we going? What are we going to do? Will he kiss…?' she blushed. Then the car finally turned and Kyoko saw a small cinema. "Let's go." Sho broke the silence. She got off and followed him. "Which film are we going to watch?", "I haven't chosen anything yet. You can decide, if you want to." she smiled widely and looked at the list of films available at that moment. 'A romance?' she blushed brightly. 'No! My heart could give away!' then she noticed a horror one. 'I don't like them, but aren't couples supposed to watch them. If I was scared I could hug…!' she blushed even more. "This one!" she quickly pointed the action film. "Not bad." he smiled making her face as red as the root beet.

Kyoko couldn't concentrate during the film. She was thinking, if she should try to touch his hand or not. Another thing was his new look. In order not to be recognised, he wore a black wig, some eye contacts and casual clothes. 'He's handsome no matter what he wears.' She was fighting with her thoughts, when Sho looked at her. Feeling strangely confident, Kyoko grabbed his hand. At the first moment Sho was shocked. He didn't feel like acting as a couple, but then he remembered his mother's words: "Make sure she's happy. She gave up a lot of things for you. You should treat her better than that!" Okami-san was trying to act like a matchmaker, but her son was as thick as a brick. 'How can he not see how lucky he is to have her? Oh, I should have raised him better.'

Back to the present time, Sho decided to stay still. It was slightly uncomfortable at the beginning, but then he quickly got used to it and by the end of the film he could admit to himself that he even enjoyed it. 'I will never say that to her though.' After the film he drove them to the quiet restaurant, always trying to find not very crowded places to avoid being recognised. He hated the idea of new rumour about their relationship. They ate their meals in silence. It was tasty, however the atmosphere felt numb. 'Maybe I should say something first?' thought Kyoko. "Um, thanks for today. Are we going somewhere else or just straight back home?" Sho looked at her and suddenly his expression changed. He seemed somehow shy as if he wanted to say something more, but was to ashamed to do so. "Um… if you are tired, we can come back, but I hoped we could visit one place very quickly." she smiled, but there was a war inside her mind. 'What kind of place can we visit at this hour?' It was past eleven pm. Most public places were closed. Trying not to look hesitantly, she nodded.

They were driving for a long time and Kyoko started to feel scared that they were going somewhere outside the Tokyo. Luckily the car stopped on a hill. She was dumbfounded, yet she didn't say a thing. Sho lead her to some place and she gasped as she saw the view in front of her. It was a vantage point. Kyoko could see a whole city from that place. She quickly run to the barrier and looked all around her. The sky was clear and she could see a thousands of stars above them. She smiled as her fears vanished. Kyoko was so happy that she couldn't see Sho's face. He looked at her, feeling more than surprised. 'She's… beautiful.' occurred his mind. 'No, it must be this scenery or I'm just tired.' he hated to think that his childhood friend could be so pretty. Then a sudden thought came to his mind. 'If she was beautiful from the very beginning, would I treat her differently?' he felt ashamed.

"Um… Kyoko. There is something I need to tell you." she was petrified. 'So that's the reason. He decided to break our engagement! It's nothing weird, who would like to marry such a plain girl as myself. What should I do? Where will I go?' she was so lost in panic thoughts that she couldn't hear Sho's words. "What's wrong Kyoko?! Did something happen?! Please, look at me! Hey!" she ignored him. Sho quickly run towards her and hugged her tightly. "What will I do without him? What will happen.. I..." he was able to her her muttering. 'Was it the reason? Was she scared that I would leave her?' looking at her so lost in this situation, his heart ached. 'It's my fault. I should have treated her better.', "Kyoko, hush… . I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you. Everything's OK." after a few minutes she calmed down.

Kyoko was ashamed of her reaction, but she felt to be in a right place, in Sho's arms. He smiled slightly. "You see. It's really OK. I wanted to take you here, because it's my secret place. I come here each time I'm stressed about my work." she nodded, but asked shyly: "Why did you take me here today?" Sho sighed. He was thinking about it for a long time. When he woke up that day he saw his pills ready and some note from her to take care of himself, while she's away form home. He remember how bad he treated her about her efforts in his PV and how he was silent about her offer. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. "I took you here to say that I'm sorry."

 **AN/ Now it's my turn to say sorry. I promised three chapters and posted only the two of them. My reason? I was in my family house and I didn't want to disturb anyone with my music. Whenever I write something I'm listening to one peculiar song over and over again. My family would hate it and I couldn't write without it. So here's a small competition: what song I am talking about? I left more than enough clues, so please enjoy~! The award is the feeling of satisfaction, so it's worth trying ;p. I hope you have a great day and see you soon!**


	15. Remember those two letters

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 15

Remember those two letters

Kotonami Kanae looked at the ceiling, trying to concentrate on her task. She found attending her classes useless that day. She didn't trust her partner. Mogami Kyoko was way to naive and inexperienced. "A quarrel between two friends with their eyes closed." There was a lot of ways to interpret it. A fight scene shouldn't be difficult, yet that part with eyes closed gave her sleepless night. On the other hand, her siblings were another reason of her state. She spent most of her savings on that course, so she couldn't afford her own apartment. She sighed. One agency. There was only one, single agency in Tokyo that she had never tried to get accepted. It was LMS's biggest rival, so she thought it would be a perfect place for her. But not now. 'Now it's time to practise. I cannot get distracted.' If she got accepted in the acting department in Akatoki Agency, she will move out as soon as possible.

Kyoko looked at the Sho, not sure what to think. 'He's apologising. But for what?' she looked at his eyes and asked: "Why are you apologising? I don't understand.", 'She hadn't even noticed. She must have been used to it already.' he sighed. "I'm sorry for acting like a little brat. Ever since we moved to Tokyo, I treated you… unfairly. I lied about the PV – it was the fault of the other actress. You were well praised and you got that drama offer thanks to your talent, not my influence. Sorry for coming home in that state like today… . I was really touched when I saw my medicine ready. It means a lot, so…" he gulped, trying to hide his ego. "Thank you for everything."

Kyoko's mind was spinning. She felt way too much in such a short amount of time. First she was scared that she may loose him, then she was flattered when he hugged her. Shocked – the moment he said sorry. And now was the most difficult part, she was happy as a sand boy, embarrassed, anxious about the whole situation and most importantly – guilty. He was sorry. He apologised. And she was lying for a few days and never even regretted it. 'Maybe I should tell him this?' but when she saw his sincere expression, she knew that she would be disingenuous. She liked acting. People, who Kyoko had met during her lessons, were so nice to her that she almost forgot about her everyday loneliness. She faked a smile and said: "You don't have to be sorry. However I really appreciate that you took me on this day to tell me this.", "No, it's not the reason." he seemed to forget the real one though. "My schedule is well packed, but I will try to find some time and maybe we will go on a dates every two weeks?" it was the first time he asked for something like that. She blushed, but nodded. "Yes, that would be lovely."

The next day Kanae was still absent, which made Kyoko worried. She tried to figure it out and make a backup scenario, but in the end she was sewing new dolls. Kyoko worked extra hard for Sho's one dressed as a demon. Slightly shy, she made one for herself as an angel. 'So disrespectful!' she blushed. 'But now it seems as if we're really dating, so it may not be a bad thing to do… '. Distracted, she didn't notice a huge commotion in the hall. "Where is she?! I came all the way here to meet my rival to hear that she's not even here! What a disappointment! We're leaving." And so Kyoko was unaware of a forthcoming danger.

After the lunch break Kanae came back to her lessons. Kyoko greeted her: "Moko-san! You didn't leave me alone!", "Mo! What's going on?! Why did you call me Moko? Mo!" Kyoko blushed a little. "It's because you often say Mo, so I thought that as a frie… project partners we can have some nicknames." she explained. "Oh, Mo! Stop calling me that! Eh… did you have some idea about our scene?" Kyoko looked at her toes. "No, I thought…", "You thought wrong. But don't worry. I will save the day. Did something unusual happen during my absence?", "No, everyone just worked on their projects.", "Good. Let's head to the classroom then."

Everything was going smoothly, when they heard some shouting. Before they were able to react, the door were opened. The blond haired girl with brown eyes came to the room like an emperor with her three servants. "Holy Kami. Not her. Everyone but her." Kanae whispered making Kyoko more surprised. Nevertheless the raven-haired girl made her face look as impassive as possible. "Kotonami-san we meet again. What a coincidence!" said blonde girl. "It's not like that at all! You were so angry, when she wasn't there!" started one of her servants, but the other two had shut his mouth quickly before he said more. "Indeed it's an unusual coincidence. I thought your family was wealthy enough to pay for more expensive courses.", "You don't have to be like that." she smiled poisonously. "To everyone that don't know me: My name is Koenji Erika and I'm a new member of this group."

 **AN/ First of all thank you for staying with me :D. I would not write without your support! No, I'm not a sadist. I just want the story to progress slowly but steady just like the original. No, Prisoner is not the song I mentioned yesterday, so keep on trying ~! The last but not least, why did Sho apologise? Do you remember the time, when he hurt Kyoko's cheek? He came the next day to give her some medicine. I hate it when in some fanfics Sho is presented as a demon. He isn't a nice person, but he isn't the worst of all. Hope you understand it, like it and have a good day ;). See you soon!**


	16. It will be OK

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 16

It will be OK

Kanae's mood dropped ever since Erika came to the classroom. It wasn't even ten minutes and she destroyed everything. "Hello everyone!" said overenthusiastic Naoko. "I hope you got to know Koenji-san by now. She got me inspired. I know that the deadline for our project was due to Wednesday, but I know that you are almost ready to perform it right away, so we gonna show it on Monday!" the room was filled with whispers. It was Friday afternoon, there was not a lot of time left. "Moreover I told you that Koenji-san made me inspired. She proposed a funny idea. Why don't we make this project a competition? A little bit of rivalry had never harmed anyone. Or so I think… . It will make us feel like it's some kind of audition, so it will be a lesson about handling stress as well. Thank you Koenji-san!" she smiled at the new girl, making Kanae want to vomit. She wondered if she was only suggesting it or she gave her something… . Kotonami-san looked at Naoko's wrist to see a new watch. 'Yes, totally fair.'

Kyoko, not aware of the situation, paled. 'Moko-san said that she has something good, but will we be able to do this in time?' she doubted. Kanae looked at her sternly. "We've got to start practising now. Let's look for some empty room." she touched Kyoko's hand and led her to the corridor. When they found some quiet place, Kanae started: "OK. A friends quarrel with their eyes closed. I thought about it a lot, unlike you. There are a few ways to treat this topic. I don't want to just shout with our eyes closed. It's like missing some opportunity." Kyoko smiled looking at her frie… partner talking so much. "So what's your idea.", "Blindness.", "What? I mean… it's an idea, but is it good enough? What kind of story can we tell?" Kanae sighed. 'Newbie.', "One of us has got recently blind. The other one wants to comfort her friend, so for the whole day she is with her eyes closed. By the end of the day the first one is angry, because she thinks that her friend is making fun of her, so she starts a quarrel. However they are best friends, so they can't be mad at each other for long. The scene would end with a long hug." Kyoko was already crying. "It's perfect!" she sobbed. "But will we be able to perform such a strong emotions?", "You don't have to. You must look angry and then make an expression that you did today, when you saw me. It should be good enough. I will take a lead and cry a lot. Got it?", "Yes, sir!" Kyoko smiled and so they started they practise. They didn't know that they were being watched.

Later that day Kyoko was chilling under the cherry blossom tree. She was tired from her practice with Kanae, but at the same time she was extremely satisfied. 'It's gonna be perfect! I can't wait to act with Moko-san!' she smiled brightly. That was the first thing that Uneki noticed when he was taking his walk. He loved going outdoors, because he felt so free then. 'She's here again. Destiny maybe…?' he shook his head to get rid of this thought.

"Hello Mogami-san." he approached her. She smiled once again. "Hello Azuma-san. How's your day?", "Blissful." he blushed, regretting his honesty. "Why so?" she smiled, encouragingly this time. "I didn't have a lot to do, since Saito-san got excited about your project. She steals most of my lessons." he laughed lightly. "Don't you like your lessons?" she asked shyly. "I'm sorry if it sounds rude." she added quickly. "No, don't worry about it. It's not like a hate it, I love it mostly. But when I have some more free time, I'm able to memorise my scripts faster.", "What scripts?", "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm a theatre actor, though I don't play as much as I used to. This time I got some big role, so I'm enjoying my work.", "Can I look at this?" he gave her his scenario. She read the title quickly and then with huge delicacy she held the book and read some of the firsts pages. "It's beautiful." she admitted finally. "I'd really love to watch in on a stage.", "Well, it's not a big production, so you might be disappointed if you compare it to some of the plays that you have already watched." he noticed a fast change of her expression. "Mogami-san… have you ever watched some play in a theatre?" he felt bad about asking her. "Um… no. I didn't have a chance." Uneki smiled thinking that it was his opportunity that he had been waiting for (although he didn't want to admit it). "Then it's my duty as your teacher to take you there." Kyoko blushed. "Oh, please, don't feel obliged to do so!", "I'm not obliged, I just think it's a good idea after all. Who knows? Maybe you will become some famous theatre actress in the future? Then I will be able to say that I was the first one to introduce you to this magical word." her eyes shone when she heard the world "magical". She was too enchanted to reject his invitation. "Then I would be really pleased to come with you Azuma-san." he was on cloud nine. "Can I come with Kotonami-san? She would appreciate it as well." Or so he was for a few seconds.

 **AN/ Wow! Two chapters again! I hope you liked it! I remind you about my competition: which song do I listen to while writing it? No, it's not a Prisoner. The award is so awesome! Some satisfaction is worth trying right ^^? Have a good day and see you soon (I'm scared that if I write something like "See you tomorrow." my teachers would give me so much homework that it would be impossible to write something that day.)**


	17. Now or never

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 17

Now or never

Kyoko tried to find some way to stay in the building a little bit longer, but the last person was about to leave, so she took her things and headed back home. She had a lot of fun that week and she wouldn't mind having lessons during the weekends. 'Everyone has their own life… .' She didn't know what to do with her free time. She cleaned house every two days, so there was not even a chance for a dust to lay on their furniture. Kyoko was so used to cooking and the other house duties that she could do it all absent-mindedly and not realise it was already finished. She sighed. 'I need another hobby for weekends.'

When she came back home, she saw that Sho was there as well. It was quite an unusual sight – her fiancé was drowning in a stock of books, looking very serious. "Hello Sho. How was your day?", "Good." he answered automatically, too lost to notice her. She smiled. "Do you have some kind of exam soon?", "Yes." he finally looked at her. "I was absent a lot, so they told me to take some tests next week in order to pass this grade." Kyoko didn't want to say it loud, but she was envious. When Sho told her about him enrolling high school, she was really angry. There she was, giving up her dream about uniforms, friends and studying and he just studied there without telling her. But she was too blindly in love to say it loud. Now she regretted it slightly. 'Maybe I should ask him about it?'

But in the end, she lacked some confidence. Things were going great between them and she didn't want to destroy it. She sighed quietly and sat down next to him. Looking at the textbooks through his shoulder. "It's so difficult. I wish I studied more in secondary school like you did." Kyoko smiled a little. "If you want I can help you with studying. I don't have much to do." he looked at her with invariably concerned expression. "Are you sure about it? I really don't get it at all.", "It's no problem. I don't understand it as well, but give me some time and then we will be able to start our lesson, OK?" Sho nodded, relieved. He knew that he graduated only thanks to Kyoko's efforts in teaching him. He probably should thank her one day, but he didn't feel like doing it that day.

They spent the rest of the evening together, when Sho noticed that Kyoko has drifted away. He was hesitant for a moment, but the he took her in his arm like a princess and put her to sleep. Then he came back to his room and asked himself. 'What the hell am I doing? I'm not acting like myself! Ugh…' That night Kyoko dreamt of watching the spectacle in a theatre, but instead of Azuma-san, there was no one else, but Sho on a stage. She was quite confused even in her dream. 'Something is definitely not right.'

She woke up, feeling bewildered. 'Where I am?' she looked around to see herself in her room. 'What's more important, how did I get there?' she blushed, when she thought about Sho carrying her there, but she shook her head. 'I must have gone here, when I was half-asleep.' She took a shower than changed into her comfy clothes and looked at the mirror. She was disappointed. 'It's not like I don't know that I'm a plain girl. But I wish my body was more like Shoko-san's… Stop it! You can not do anything about it, but maybe you will wear something nice?' she didn't take a lot of clothes with her, when she was leaving Kyoto. Kyoko was in a rush and she couldn't take a lot of things with her. 'I still have some money from Okami-san left.' she felt instantly guilty. 'Can I really do this?'

She fought in her thoughts, while making a breakfast for them. Kyoko noticed Sho, who was already sitting with his books around him. 'His mother would be so proud of him, if she could see this scene.' then an idea came to her mind. She saw Sho's phone on the table close to her, so trying to look normally, she took it quickly. Kyoko smiled and made a photo as fast as possible trying to be unnoticed. Unfortunately the mobile phone made a noise, while making the photo. Sho raised his head and looked at her. "Everything's OK?", "Yes, of course!" she answered, holding his phone behind her back. Kyoko lied to him for the third time. But it was worth it. She sent that photo to Sho's mother and quickly deleted her message. "It must be your good influence, Kyoko. Please, keep it up!" she smiled and put the phone, where it belonged.

After their breakfast Kyoko looked at Sho. "I will go out to shop for a while. Will you study without me for a moment?", 'Who does she think I am? A small kid?', "Yes, I will. It's not like I need you help every time." he lied smoothly. "If that's the case than I will get going.", 'There he is again, making me sad without even realising it.'

Feeling guilty, she promised herself that she will give every penny back at the right time. Kyoko felt slightly uncomfortable while walking through the shopping district. She hasn't bought anything for herself since moving out. 'It's a high time then!' she motivated herself. Looking at the shop windows, she regained her good mood. She was quickly lost in her la la land. Sometimes she looked at the billboards to see some famous faces. Kyoko didn't know that Tsuruga Ren was a model as well, but when she learnt that she felt more respectful for him. But the most surprising thing was about to happen. She saw Curara's ad once again and she finally noticed her. "What was Koenji-san doing there?"

 **AN/ Hello everyone once again! I want to thank you so much! You gave me a lot of support, even though I'm a mean sadist ;p. I really appreciate it and I will do my best to make this story as entertaining as possible. So as always, I hope you have a nice day and see you soon~!**


	18. Only if it's better

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 18

Only if it's better

Kyoko woke up a bit too early, thanks to a stress pressure. Trying not to waste any time, she practised her lines in her mind, so Sho would not find her behaviour suspicious. She was nervous, yet very excited. Uneki promised her that he will find some time to watch today's competition. Kyoko smiled brightly at Sho, but he didn't notice. Then she headed straight to her acting school.

Kanae was already there, eyes closed, trying to find her equilibrium. She was disturbed by Kyoko running towards her with her arms opened. "Moko-san! Oh, I missed you so much!", "Stop with that weird nickname! People will think that we are friends, mo!" Kyoko ignored her heartache. "Are you ready?" she asked happily. "As always. And you?", "Yes!" she answered cheerfully. Kanae looked at her happy expression, not sure what to think about it. 'She's way to energetic. Will she be able to play her role perfectly?' she glared at her again. 'I should check it.', "Why don't we find some quiet place and practise a little. By the way, did you bring your stage prop?", "Yes, sir!" she showed her an eye patch. In the end she didn't buy any clothes for her, but she got ready for their acting test. "Good. Let's go then."

They were more than ready. The only problem that Kyoko had, was the fact that the scene was so touching that she cried in the last part. "I'm so sorry Moko-san! Your script is just too moving!" Kanae sighed. "It's OK. We're both friends, so tears of joy seem to be a natural thing." Kyoko's eyes shone. "I mean… friends in this scene." Mogami-san saddened. 'It's good enough. We will become true friends in no time.' she comforted herself with that thought.

They looked at the clock to see that they were almost late. They run through their classroom to see everyone waiting for Naoko. She came with Erika ten minutes later with a little flustered face. 'I sense the trouble.' thought Kanae. "Hello everyone! Sorry for being late, I had to do something." she smiled. "I forgot to tell you that Koenji-san will take part in our competition as well. Even though she had a little amount of time, she got ready, so why don't we encourage her with a round of applause?" the classmates agreed. Kanae tried to surpass the queasiness. "Since I had a perfect amount of tasks for you, she chose from the same boxes as you did. Fun fact: she got the same topic as Kotonami-san and Mogami-san. What a plot twist! I heard that Koenji-san and Kotonami-san know each other well, so it may be a really interesting battl… I mean competition. I will look forward to it!" Then she showed the group another box. "This lesson is about good luck as well, so you will draw lots to decide the order. Maybe you will start Koenji-san?", 'Nothing suspicious at all.', "Yes, with a pleasure.", 'Rather expensive one.' Kanae gave her a poisonous look.

"Huh? I guess me and my serv… Todo-san will be the first ones." she smiled innocently. Kyoko paled. "Moko-san, did you see it?", "What?" Kotonami-san was confused. "The box. There is a second, smaller one inside.", "Did anyone else notice?" they looked around to see that everyone was calm as a cucumber. "No one.", "Should we say something about it?" asked Kyoko. "No, it's no use." she admitted. "I know Koenji-san way to well. She's plotting something, but I don't know what." Then they decided to ignore it and chose their own piece of paper. "The seventh."

The competition started. Kyoko saw Uneki so she smiled at him, not wanting to make him embarrassed of her waving at him. He smiled back making her feel at ease. 'We tried our best and it's perfect. There's nothing that can go wrong now.' or so she thought. Erika stood in the centre of the room looking at the jury. Her partner stood next to her, when he suddenly gave her a sunglasses. "You don't think about the same thing as me, right?" Kyoko whispered. "I think we're done without even trying." hissed Kanae.

The scene started with their conversation about female's disease. She was about to go blind. She was comforted by her best male friend. It was obvious that he had a stronger feelings for her, but he kept it a secret. Then they showed her with her sunglasses. The scene was a mute one, but their feelings were visible. Erika danced to show her sadness and her partner looked at her with no clue what to do to help her. "Yup, we're definitely done." whispered Kanae. Saying that it was their scenario wasn't even necessary. No one would believe them. Moreover Erika's scenario was better – there was a romance included, which made things more dramatic. By the end of the scene everyone was crying except Kanae and Kyoko (though Kyoko was close to tears, but thanks to different reason). 'How could she do something like that? Kanae worked so hard on this script. It can't go to waste like that.'.

"Let's go." she said silently to Moko-san. "We've got a scene to prepare." Kanae was dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? She won, we lose. That's how things work between us." Kyoko sighed. "I don't know your back story, but it's a past, so forget about it. You worked alone on this project so now it's my turn to do something as well.", "But how can we do this? We've got only twenty minutes left.", "So we have better not waste any other one." she took Kanae's hand and lead her to another room. Uneki was anxious. 'Did something happen?'

"I don't know your plan, but now we have to make this way better than that plagiarist." Kyoko smiled. "That's what I intend to do."

 **AN/ Hello! So tired… * yawn *. Gotta go to sleep. When I was little I preferred dancing camps than language practise ones, so if you see any typo, blame it on the boogie xp. Hope you liked it and see you soon~!**


	19. See at the finish line

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 19

See at the finish line

Kanae tried to keep a stiff upper lip, when she heard Kyoko's idea. "Do you really think that it can defeat Koenji-san?" she doubted. "There's only one way to find it out." Kyoko answered. "Moreover we cannot make another sad scene, because impact wouldn't be strong enough. Trust me, we must do this." Moko-san sighed. "OK, we can do this. But do you really think we will be able to act it naturally without any practise?", "I'm not feared of it, because I treat you as my best friend already." she confessed. They were interrupted by Uneki, who came in the room. "Is there any problem girls? We made a quick break, but soon it will be your turn.", "Actually..." started Kyoko. "There is a one thing we would like to ask you for.", "What's this?", "I know it's unprofessional, but I forgot something important. Do you have some stage props?" he smiled. "Follow me." Kyoko felt as if she was cheating, but it was the only way to do this. Her eyes widened as she saw the room in front of them. "Can we really use it?", "Please, help yourselves." 'Finally some good news.'

They knew it was their turn, the moment they came in the room. Everyone was looking at them with an undeniable interest. 'They want some drama between me and Koenji-san.' thought Kanae. "Erika, watch yourself." Girls stood in the centre of the room and bowed down to the jury. "Ready?" whispered Kyoko. "Ready." Kanae smiled back.

Their started their scene with a small quarrel with they eyes opened. "Please, come with me! It's gonna be so much fun!" Kyoko started. "No, no, and furthermore, no! You will never convince me about it!", "What if I told this to Honda-senpai?" and then she whispered something to Kanae's ear, which made her blush a lot. The audience smirked. "You will regret it one day." she hissed.

Then they walked to the other part of the room, acting as if they came to another place. "Hello everyone! Let's play some truth or dare!" shouted Kyoko looking at her imaginary friends. Kanae looked as if she was about to faint. "You go first!" the shorter girl patted her back. "Dare." she said scared that her friend would ask her about Honda-senpai. "OK. I've got something funny." and she showed her eye patch. "You will allow me to do your make-up with my eyes closed." she grinned evilly, making most of the people watching it smile. "No, no heck! No!" Kanae was terrified, which made even more comic atmosphere.

Then Kyoko showed the item, that Uneki lent her. A box of cosmetics. "I won't use too much." she promised him back then. Now, when she was in her acting mood, she seemed to forget about it. First thing was an eye-liner. It would look good, if Kyoko found Kanae's eyes. In the end her friend had all her forehead black. The audience started to laugh. Kotonami-san closed her eyes, horrified by Kyoko's behaviour. "Please, stop it already!" she begged. "I've just started." The next minute Mogami-san was making fun of her friend placing her make-up in wrong spots. It was hilarious.

Suddenly Kanae stood up. "It's over! I don't want to be a part of this!" she run from their invisible room. "Wait a second!" she hurried to her friend. They quarrelled for a moment, but then Kyoko apologised. "I'm so sorry. It's all because of Honda-senpai. I know that you two will start dating eventually and you will not have a lot of time for me." she sobbed. "That's your reason?" the girl nodded. "Then I will forgive you." they hugged making the scene adorable. "But on condition that you will accept my dare.", "What's this?", "I will feed you with my eyes closed." And so they ended the scene, chuckling. The audience was very enthusiastuc about it. Girls bowed again.

The next scenes were good enough, but everyone were talking about Erika and Kanae. They bet who was to win. Most of them bet on Kanae, which made Kyoko extremely happy. Then the results were announced. "Thank you for attending this project. I can happily announce that all of you passed!" there was a huge applause. "I'm happy as well. Without further ado the winners are..." Kyoko held her breath. "Mogami-san and Kotonami-san! Congratulations!" Kanae forgot about her promise to herself about not to being friendly towards Kyoko and hugged her partner. "I know that a lot of you will disagree with our decision and we understand that. But we believe that to make a funny scene and make the audience laugh is more difficult than making them cry. Just imagine the amount of good drama films and compare it to the amount of great comedy ones and you will see my point."

Few minutes later Erika asked Naoko to meet her in private. She agreed, sensing girl's annoyance. The left the room and then Erika started: "Why did you choose these talentless girls? I thought I made sure who was to win this competition." she looked at Naoko's wrist unambiguously. "You know what Koenji-san?" she took off her watch and threw it away. "I don't have time for your bullcrap." and she left the room like a gangsta.

Naoko saw Uneki standing behind the doors. "Eavesdropping is not a good habit of yours.", "Said the gossip girl." she smiled. "Good point. Don't worry about the situation.", "I trust you, though I think that you agreed with Koenji-san only to say those lines about the time." her smiled widened. "You know me well. Where you going to interfere?", "Yes, but I didn't have any proof.", "Good thing that I have some." and so she showed him a video made by her by a mobile phone. It presented Kanae and Kyoko practising and hidden Erika writing down their lines.", "You need a pay rise." he sighed.

They looked at each other and then he mumbled: "She has some potential.", "You mean Mogami-san? If so, than you're totally wrong.", "Why?" she sighed. "The last time I checked it was called _talent_ not _potential_."

 **AN/ Finally? This scene was haunting me for more than three days and I'm so glad it's over now! I hope you liked it even a slight bit. I didn't write it, but no, Kyoko's not gonna be a part of Dark Moon thanks to Sho's influence. And some good news: I found a way for Kyoko and Ren to meet faster than planned originally. So… see you soon~!**


	20. Not a twist of fate

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 20

Not a twist of fate

It was one of those days, when the street light is always red, every train comes too early or too late and everything that you try to do, ends up miserably. Ren was petrified. They started shooting Dark Moon last Friday and that day he was to play for the first time as someone who's deeply in love. He realised that he made a mistake accepting this role.

Kanae felt obliged to thank Kyoko. If it wasn't for her, she would probably resign from that courses, which she found enjoying a lot. Not to mention that indescribable feeling, when she finally defeated Erika. On the other hand, she didn't want to get too close to her. After their scene she was sure than Kyoko was more dangerous than she expected. 'It's not like I started liking her or anything. It's just…' and she couldn't find any explanation. She sighed. 'Let's just end it quickly.'

"Do you want to go somewhere to celebrate our victory?" she felt somehow unnatural with the way she said it, but she tried to ignore it. Kyoko's eyes sparkled. "I always wanted to eat an ice-cream with my friend!" she shouted. The other girl blinked. "No way!", "Why?", "First of all, ice-creams are caloric. You should take care of your body, since you want to be an actress. Secondly, we're not friends, so it won't even count. Just save this for a real friend, Kyoko." shorter girl smiled. "I don't believe you.", "Why?", "Because you called me _Kyoko_ a moment ago. I wouldn't say it to someone, who is not my friend. Moreover I don't plan to become an actress, so there's no problem for me." she explained cheerfully. "What?!", "Let's go! I will tell you more later." As much as she hated the idea, she wanted to know, if Kyoko was serious about her statement.

They found a small coffee-house and ordered some fancy ice-cram. Kanae tried not to count the calories and not to think about exercisers she would do to prevent herself from getting fat. Even though she was worried, she quietly enjoyed it. "OK, we eat some ice-creams. Can you now explain me why you don't want to be an actress? Don't get me wrong, but attending acting courses usually means that you see yourself as an artist in the future." Kyoko shook her head. "Usually doesn't equal always." she smiled. "I can't be an actress, since I plan to become a perfect wife." Kanae didn't understand and Kyoko sighed. "You see… I'm getting married soon and I just wanted to fill my free schedule before the wedding day." she decided to tell her the truth, because she was her new friend. She didn't tell, who was her fiancé though, so there shouldn't be a problem.

Kanae was stunned. "What kind of joke is that?! Marriage at your age? Are you pregnant or what?!" Kyoko blushed and covered the other girl's mouth. "Please, don't say anything more, it's not like that!" she cried. "I know him for a long time and since we're living together it should be better this way." Moko-san was silent for a moment. 'I didn't expect her to be a girl like that. Living with her boyfriend, getting married so early? I don't know her at all.', "Thank you for saying it, even though I think it's a stupid idea, but who would listen to some stranger's idea?", "You're not a stranger!" contradicted Kyoko. "I want you to be my friend. Why do you object it so much?". Kanae closed her eyes. It was supposed to be some friendly, non-committal chat. She felt lost in this situation. "I don't want to have any friends. It's just the way I am. Don't be sad and find someone else.", "No." she answered straightforwardly. "OK, then let's start from being classmates. If thing progress, we may become friends one day." Kotonami-san admitted feeling defeated.

Then she was hugged and almost choke to death. "I'm so sorry! I'm just so happy Moko-san!", "Ugh… let me breath at least." They spend together an hour more, because Kyoko wanted to go shopping with her. "It's such a shame to eat ice-cream and don't go window shopping!" Kanae could do nothing, but smirked at her statement. 'This girl is definitely something.' And before she even knew it, she accepted her as her friend unconsciously.

The next days passed quickly. Kyoko got to know the rest of the teachers and she really enjoyed her classes. She loved commercial ones especially. She thought that if things were slightly different, she could take part in some auditions and act in an advertisement. Then she scolded herself. 'Oh, don't be so full of yourself! There are a lot of people way better than you.' However this thought could not leave her and she hoped that one day she could tell Sho the truth. In her wildest dreams she saw herself becoming a celebrity and admitting to the public that she is Sho's wife without making him ashamed. She sighed. 'Pipe dream.' But no matter how hard she tried to get rid of it, she wasn't able to do so.

Friday was like a blessing for Sho. He took his last exam that day and he was sure that he passed them all. "Yess!" he shouted when he came back home. He wanted to say it right away, when he finished his paper, but it could damage his cool image. Kyoko smiled at him. "How did it go?", "Good enough, I'm sure." she couldn't stop herself and hugged him. "Did you do something about your look?" he asked all of sudden. She blushed brightly. "It's my fringe or the lack of it." she admitted. "My friend from my ac.. cooking course helped me to tie it.", "It's cute." he said, not noting her mistake. Kyoko was relieved. "How are your courses by the way?", "They are great! I made new friends and I learned a lot.", "Good for you then. Enjoy it while you can, since you will have to quit them after the wedding."

She felt as if he hit her.

 **AN/ OK, so there we are, twenty (?!) chapters behind and I finally realised that since the very beginning I wrote nothing but a filler. Just read the description of this story. It's not related xp. So I decided to change that and progress more towards the original concept of this fanfic. I hope you liked it. I love you guys so much for reading this, you can't even imagine! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and see you soon~!**


	21. Three strikes and out

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 21

Three strikes and out

She knew deep down, that all that feels good, ends quickly. Even though Kyoko tried not to think that she was about to quit her courses in the close future. Instead she decided to take as much as she can from it and enjoy her time left. Kyoko spent her weekend practising all the things she learnt in front of the mirror, while Sho was writing songs in his studio. Or so he told her. She found herself not interested in his career progress, which would be impossible one month earlier. And most importantly – she was not ready for what awaited her the next day.

When she entered her school's building, she noticed some commotion. Almost everyone was whispering something excitedly to the person next to them. Kyoko wasn't sure, if she heard it right, but she could tell that the words _field trip_ were repeated every now and then. 'What's this? They didn't tell us anything about it.' But there was a bus standing in the parking lot, so she couldn't deny those rumours. 'Where can they take us, if we don't have any things packed?' her thoughts were interrupted, when she saw Azuma Kouki. Uneki's older brother looked excited as well, making all the students extra curious.

"Good morning everyone." she said finally making the others close their mouths. "As you have probably guessed by now, we're going on a field trip." Kyoko smiled widely, when she heard some shouting. "You may now or not, but I'm a close friend of Ogata Hiroaki, the director of the future blockbuster Dark Moon. He invited us to his film set and I agreed." the enthusiasm of the crowd was almost unstoppable. There was only one, single person, that wasn't happy with the turn of the events. Kyoko felt as if she lost the control over her body and almost fainted. Luckily Uneki was close to her, so he was able to catch her in time.

Seeing herself in the arms of someone else than Sho made her gain her conscious with an incredible pace. "Mogami-san, are you OK?" he asked concerned, since no one else seemed to notice the scene. "Yes and thank you Azuma-san." she quickly released herself from his embrace. He blushed a little. "Are you sure? You look pale.", "Yes, it's noting. I guess I just got carried away with an excitement about our trip." It made Uneki envious of Kouki. He wanted be the one that made her so happy. "I'm sorry, but I've got to catch my brother and discuss some matters with him. Can you stay there alone for a second?" Kyoko nodded. "That's good. I will be there in a moment. If you fell weak again, go ahead and ask me for help." He was to leave, but in the end he pulled himself together and added. "You look cute with your fringe tied." And then he run away, proud of himself.

Kyoko's legs were shaking, while the bus drove them to the film set. Kanae noticed her weird reaction, but decided not to interfere. That girl lived in her own world and Moko-san didn't feel like bringing her back. 'She doesn't want to talk, so it should be fine." But it really wasn't. She was on the edge of panic attack and the only thought that comforted her was that Kyoko looked different than in Sho's PV. Other people didn't recognise her, so there shouldn't be any problem, right?

When they came to the set, she tried all of her ninja skills, learned from Uneki. She stayed close to her group, but acted as if she was one of the technician. Before she even realised, she was lost with no sight of her class in view. Kyoko should be scared, but instead she felt relived. There was no one else in the corridor, so she sat down on one of the steps and waited. She decided that she will stay there for about a half of an hour and then try to catch her group.

Kyoko didn't expect anyone in that empty corridor, but soon she heard some footsteps. She quickly looked for some place to hide, but she didn't make it on time and ended up looking more suspicious than ever. The man in front of her had dark hair, brown eyes and extremely friendly attitude, which made her tremble.

"Are you lost by an accident, Miss?" she heard his pleasant question and finally realised, who was standing next to her. "T..tsuruga-san, um no I'm not, I just… took a break?" her voice dropped, when his eyes examined her. "A break, you say… I thought that you were a part of that group of students, but I guess I was wrong. And since you don't have your entry pass… Security guard!" Ren shouted. "We've got another uninvited reporter here." Kyoko quickly covered his mouth, which made her blush a second later. "It's not like that!" she felt déjà vu. "You were right, I'm a part of the group, but I wanted to look around to see, how does it feel to act in a place like this." which might be the truth, if she wasn't sitting on the stairs. Ren smiled. "I know this feeling. When I was younger I always run away to see some inaccessible places. You must want to be an actress, right?" she shook her head, feeling like being honest with him. "So what are you doing here?" he asked with his smile widened. "I'm just attending the courses to waste some time." his eyebrow jerked at the word _waste_ , but he managed to hide it quickly and smile even more angelic. Kyoko suddenly felt insecure. She tried to run away, but then he grabbed her shoulder and said out of the blue: "Just do not believe that having a lot of courage will get you through everything." his aura darkened. "But today is your lucky day and since you want to look around, I'll introduce you to the director." She dug herself into a hole.

 **AN/ Well that was unexpected. Yesterday I believed that I will bring this story on the right track and ended up, making something new. Since a lot of you wanted to know what was happening on the Dark Moon set, I felt like writing about it. I hope you liked it as much as I did. Have a great day and see you soon~!**


	22. Throw a lifeline

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 22

Throw a lifeline

Ren knew that she was hiding from someone and who was better to know what's happening on the film set than the director and the cleaning ladies (though he could not find any explanation, why he should introduce her to them)? His suspicions turned out to be OK, since she paled and looked as a ghost. For a second he felt bad for her, but then he remembered her telling that acting was a way to waste some time, so he ended up being ruthless.

Kyoko at the same time was having a hard time, trying to get out. His grip was stern, so she couldn't release her arm from his. How did she end up holding his hand in the first place? When he decided to make her regret her words, she was to leave quickly, so Ren grabbed her, slightly wanting to know, why she was hiding.

Then she found a way to escape. She saw Kouki in the distance, so Kyoko shouted: "Azuma-san!" and he turned to see her in some embarrassing situation with Japan's Most Desirable Man. 'Does she know him well?' thought Kouki, looking at their united hands sceptically. 'Uneki's not gonna like it.', "Mogami-san! I was looking for you everywhere! Why did you go here?" but he silenced the most intriguing question about her being with Tsuruga Ren. "I sorta got lost. Thank you for looking for me." then she turned to Ren and smiled, trying to copy his angelic, angry smile. "Thank you for the company, but I should join my group. It was a pleasure to meet you." and Kyoko bowed politely and quickly run with Kouki. She couldn't see Ren smirking. 'Somehow it's sad that I won't solve the mystery.' but he had other things that occupied his mind, so he quickly forgot about her.

"Mogami-san, why are we in such a rush?" he asked out of breath. "I'm sorry Azuma-san, I just wanted to join my class." she lied smoothly. "I was observing you ever since we came here. Something smells fishy, don't you think?" Kyoko blinked, caught out of the guard. "You're right, I'm sorry for lying. I… need some kind of disguise. Can you help me?" she asked, while worry in her eyes made Kouki understand why his brother fell for her so miserably. "I think I can do something… but on one condition. You will explain me, what's going on." Kyoko nodded, defeated. More than anything she needed to hide from director Ogata.

Few minutes later she found herself in a chicken's costume. 'It feels weird.', "We've got lucky." Kouki smiled. "They told me that yesterday there was shot a special episode of Yappa Kimagure Rock, introducing the new drama. What is more, they left Bo's costume, since they will shoot once more tomorrow. The lady responsible for it agreed to lent it to us for today.", 'Not for free though. I had to give her my phone number and promise to invite her for some coffee. Uneki really owes me one.'

They came somewhere quiet and then Kyoko started. "I lied about not having any acting experience. I was playing as an angel in Fuwa Sho's PV." she said it straight. "It was you!" Kouki shouted in recognition. "And you rejected Hiroaki's offer! No wonder you want to hide!" he laughed. She didn't share his enthusiasm. "It's not funny! I really wanted to agree!" Kyoko said without thinking and yes, she regretted it right after. "So why didn't you do so? It made a small chaos in here, honestly." she felt guilty. "Really? Than I must say that I'm deeply sorry. How did it become a bother though?" Kouki sighed. "We decided not to tell anyone about Ogata's decision, before you agree, but somehow the rumour spread. It made one of our actor angry and he declined to cooperate.", "He really must have not wanted to play with a newbie as me." she saddened. Kouki chuckled. "It's not the case. He just wanted to get a phone number from the actress that you would substitute for. But I'm sure he wouldn't mind the change if he met you." he blinked at Kyoko, making her stiffen.

Not wanting to lengthen the unpleasant atmosphere, he asked: "Coming back to the main topic, why didn't you agree on that offer?" Kyoko looked at the floor. "Like I said, I really wanted to, but I have… um… an important person.", 'An important person? Could it be Tsuruga Ren? Poor Uneki. I tried my best to get those two together.' Indeed he did. Kouki was the one to spread the rumours about them, knowing that Naoko would do all the dirty work. "But he didn't want me to act.", 'Oh, he may be a despot. Come on, Uneki! You've still got the chance.'. "Why?", "I don't know, maybe he wanted me to concentrate on the forthcoming event.", "What kind of event?" things started to sound dangerous. "Oh, it's nothing really. Let's just keep it a secret for a while, please." he tried to hide his disappointment, but he respected her will to have some privacy, which he understood completely.

"Look at the time! I will be needed in a second. Right now the rest of the class may have some lunch, so you can do whatever you want." he smiled. "Make sure you don't eat your drumstick." he added and left her feeling gross at least. Kyoko was well covered, so she left the hall and headed to the next floor aimlessly. Suddenly she sensed some really dark aura. Kyoko really wanted to go back, but some strange force lead her to the source of it.

She met him again. He was sitting on a bench, looking depressed. She had never seen anyone so bummed out. 'Maybe that's the reason of his rude behaviour.' she thought. 'He must be struggling with something.' Then Ren noticed her presence. "Um, can you do me a favour?" she was about to refuse, when she saw his face. "Sure. If it's possible."

 **AN/ Waking up today was really pleasurable, since I checked my e-mail. Your response was amazing and it makes me want to write more and more! Thank you so much! I hope you liked this chapter and I will do my best to post another one today, but I can't promise anything. See you soon ~!**


	23. Paint by numbers

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 23

Paint by numbers

So they sat next to each other, not knowing exactly what to do with their situation. Ren was supposed to tell her his request, yet he stayed in silence. The atmosphere started to get more and more tensed. Kyoko wondered, whether say something or not, when Ren sighed. "I guess I can't back away now, that I stopped you. But aren't you needed somewhere?" he asked without denying his hope. "No, I was about to leave." he sighed again.

"It may sound weird… but I'm facing some problems with my acting.", "What kind of problems?" she asked surprised. Kyoko heard that he was always as professional as possible, so admitting must have been difficult for him. She suddenly felt empathy for him and decided to do her best in order to help him. "It's my first time acting someone in love and what is more this love is a forbidden one. I hope you won't tell anything to the press." he added. She put her hand on her heart. "Honest to Kami!". He chuckled. "It's weird to hear it from a chicken." she pouted and somehow he was able to read her mind without looking at her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to be rude. It was just the first chance in a long time that I had to laugh honestly. I should have used it." Kyoko nodded thoughtfully. "If that's the case, I'm not offended.", "Thanks." he smiled naturally, which made her heart skip a beat.

"Back to the story. I had a serious problems with my role, because I couldn't act Katsuki's feelings properly. I froze each time I had to show affection to his love interest.", "You should just use your previous experiences and it should be OK." she smiled, happy that she was able to help him quickly. "Um… that may be the case...", "It can't be!" she started to laugh. "Do you want to tell me that Japan's The Most Desirable Man had never been in love, not even once?" Kyoko couldn't hide her amusement. "It's not funny, you know? I thought I could trust you." he looked angrily at her, making her want to vanish into the air. She bowed in dogenza. "I'm so, so sorry! I shouldn't have treated you like that! Please, forgive me!" he couldn't help, but laugh at her sincere reaction. "What's this? Aren't you angry?", "I can't be angry at someone, who apologised sincerely." and he smiled truly again.

Kyoko changed her opinion about Tsuruga Ren. She had always hated him, since Sho despised him as well. But now she could not treat him like that any more. He was professional, honest and polite. These was the factors that she admired in people. Kyoko felt like she had to do everything to help him. "Once again we changed the subject." he sighed. "The president of my agency came here three days ago and he told me that I must act this role properly by the time he comes back or I will be fired from this drama." he avowed. Kyoko was stunned. "And when he's coming back?", "Tomorrow." he whispered. "I spent the weekend thinking about the role, but I still don't understand it. How does it feel to be in love?" there was a silence, since Kyoko didn't notice that the question was directed to her. He looked at her.

"Um… you want me to answer?" he nodded. "Let me think for a second." It shouldn't be a difficult question for her. She was deeply in love with Sho or so she thought. Why did this question make her so embarrassed? "When you love someone… you want to see that person often." she started. "Every time you see his or her smile, you fell like the sun was touching your heart. And he or she makes you blush a lot… maybe it's rule made strictly for women, I don't know honestly." he was listening to her carefully. "You desire this person's happiness more than your own. When that person is moody, you don't really mind. You just wait patiently and help them to come back to their usual state." she silenced for a moment. "Being in love… really hurts. You're doing your best, but you can't meet their expectations. Love is… loneliness as well, not always of course! Most of the time you feel complete with the other half, but sometimes you feel horribly alone. Like you are the only one, who can suffer this much. And…" she stopped. She could feel tears falling down her cheeks. She was grateful that her costume hid it. Kyoko tried to get use of her lessons with Uneki about her voice controlling.

Ren didn't seem to notice though. He was lost in his own thoughts. His memory brought back the ghosts of past, when he lived in the USA in his father's shadow. He made a lot of mistakes back then, which hurt him deeply. Kuon loved acting and couldn't stand the thought of not being able to do his job properly, which occurred way too often. He gave his best, yet he failed over and over again. But when he achieved what he desired, he felt completed and extremely satisfied.

"I think I start to understand this feeling, but in some weird way." Kyoko cheered up quickly. "That's a great news! Don't worry about the form love, since it's a love after all! It doesn't even have to be a love towards a person, it can be towards anything! Just let this emotion fulfil your soul and you will be OK!" she shouted. Ren could do nothing, but chuckle at her reaction. 'This chicken is somehow cute. God, I've never thought that I will ever admit something like that.' Still Ren couldn't help himself and joined her.

There was only one doubt that poisoned his heart. "Will it be enough?"

 **AN/ Yay! Two chapters, both with Ren! I feel so ecstatic… and tired xp. I hope you liked it and see you soon~!**


	24. Learnt to grow

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 24

Learnt to grow

After the first delight, they sat down and smiled again. Then Kyoko looked at Ren and decided that it's a perfect time to leave. "I think I did my best and now you are ready for tomorrow. So, I will get going." she bowed and turned around. "Thank you very much, you helped me a lot. But… where are you going?" she froze. "Um… to my next work?" her voice dropped. "But you told me that you are free for today." Kyoko started panicking, but again reminded herself her lessons with Uneki. "Oh, I told you that I was free, but I just had a little break between my two jobs. I should go change." Ren raised his eyebrow. "Wrong direction." he sighed. "The changing rooms are this way." he showed her the other side of the hallway. "Right. But I wanted to change in the bathroom not to disturb any actors." Kyoko quickly lied. "It's still this way. There's only a broom closet there." he chuckled.

"OK, so what are you hiding?" he smiled thinking about meeting two mysterious people one day. "Actually I'm running away." she admitted. "Why so?", "Um… I did something bad and now I have to face somebody, who was hurt by my actions." Kyoko looked at her feet… or her chicken legs? She found herself troubled about this situation. "I don't know what to do, if that person stops me and asks for explanation." he furrowed his eyebrows in silence question. "It's a secret. I cannot tell anyone.", "So… if that's the case, why don't you just apologise? Showing that you are sorry may not be enough, but it's still better than hiding." Kyoko looked at him with hope (weird enough, he could understand her feelings even with that costume). He smiled honestly again. "Thank you very much for your advice. I should do this.", "So, we're square." They bowed and said their goodbyes. Kyoko could not believe that she could meet someone like Tsuruga Ren twice and each time she would get a different impression of him.

She hurried to the bathroom and changed quickly. Kouki told her earlier, where she could find their group. Rushing, she gave back Bo's costume and headed to her true destination. She saw Kanae first so she run towards her. "Where have you been Mo!? A chance like this can not happen again." she welcomed her with a shouting. "I'm so sorry! I got lost.", "Mo! Be more aware of your surrounding!" Kanae stopped when she realised that she was already on older sister mode. Kyoko at the same time was touched. Her friend cared for her! She hugged Moko-san, ignoring her protests. "Just stop! We're making a commotion!", "I'm sorry, but it just made me happy.", 'What a weirdo!' thought Kanae.

Kouki noticed the scene and smiled a little. 'I'm glad she chose to show up. Uneki will finally breathe a sigh of relief.' His younger brother was worried ever since she was about to faint and he hated himself for loosing her from his sight. 'What would happen, if she lost her conscious in some desolated area and had no one to take care of her?' When he noticed her, he indeed felt relieved. Uneki wanted to approach Mogami-san, but he didn't want to interrupt her lapse with Kotonami-san. He sighed. 'I hope nothing bad had happened.'

Naoko looked at the scene closely, not wanting to loose any glimpse or a word. She enjoyed the situation, sensing some fancy, new story to tell. When everything seemed to calm down, she said loudly: "OK. Our trip is almost over and we hope it was educational, yet entertaining. We should thank director Ogata for that chance." Everyone smiled and said their own thanks to the director, who has just come to the room, blushing a lot. "I hope that you rested well since our last challenge, because I've got another one!" she raised her hands and make something close to a dance move. "I thank you Ogata-san for doing this for us. Now I will allow Azuma-san to take the floor."

Kouki stood in the centre of the room and smiled. "Ogata-san should be the one to announce it, but in a matter of minutes there will be held an audition for a role in Dark Moon. Before you get too excited, it's nothing big, just two lines of text, but we all know that even a one word in a blockbuster like this can give you a chance to become the next celebrity. I hope you will treat it seriously and play fair, since you're my favourite group." he flattered them, at the same time making the atmosphere more tense than ever. Then he gave them a chance to think about this offer. Kyoko should be scared, but she decided not to retreat. Kouki came to her and whispered: "Can I talk to you somewhere private?" she nodded and followed him.

"Thanks for coming back. You've got someone worried about you." she smiled, thinking that he was mentioning Kanae. "But what do you want to do now?" Kyoko sighed. "I will take part in that audition, hoping that the director won't recognise me. If he do, I will just say sorry and leave." Uneki looked at her thoughtfully. "It seems to be a good solution, but what will you do if you win that audition? Won't your _important_ _person_ be mad? You described his as someone persistent.", "Actually I didn't think about it. There are a lot of people, who can act better than me, so it shouldn't be a problem. But if some kind of miracle is to happen I will accept my fate." she smiled a little. 'How can she be so insecure? She was offered almost a main role in this drama!', "Sounds good, but you should be more self-confident. You've got the same chance as the others, so make sure you don't loose it." he encouraged her a little. "Thank you very much and sorry for all this bother.", "Don't worry about it. It was close to the pleasure." he joked and they went their separate ways. 'Poor Uneki. She's way too cute to stay single for a long time.'

 **AN/ Hello, hello, hello! (overenthusiastic) I really enjoyed writing this. I realised that copy-pasting Ren's words from the manga might not be the cleverest decision, since it sounded so unnatural, so I will try to fix it soon ;p. I hope you had a great day and see you soon~!**


	25. Toed the line

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 25

Toed the line

Everyone chatted happily about the opportunity except Kanae and Kyoko. Both girls tried to concentrate and get ready. They weren't given any instructions yet, but they felt like calming their nerves down and practising their breath. Finally one of director's assistant handed them their texts. Ogata-san decided that there will be written a lot of potential versions of the dialogue and they will choose the best one after the auditions. To make long story short Naoko was ecstatic, because it was a proof that her little experiment was right – sometimes it was the fate, that dictated the future of an actor.

Kyoko was the last one to draw lots this time. She found only one paper scrap, so she took it. "1. You have a nice fiancée. 2. I hope you will make this clear, before she finds out." Kyoko was dumbfounded. 'I hope they will explain it soon.' And sure they did.

Kouki smiled, while looking at his students' uncertain faces. "Don't worry too much. I acted the same way, when I first heard about it, but it's not that bad." he started. "You may have watched the original drama… or not, but the script for now is quite easy. Tachibana Katsuki - a teacher played by well-known Tsuruga Ren - slowly falls in love with his student." some girls started chatting after hearing a famous name. Kouki waited until they were quiet. "The problem is that he is already engaged. In this scene his student visits him, because he wasn't in school lately thanks to his cold. The girl went back to her home. Unfortunately before Katsuki walked back to his apartment, he had noticed his neighbour. This is your potential role. The text, that you chose, determinates the story, since Tsuruga-san does not know what you are to say. We think that it's a great lesson about improvisation, since you don't know, how he will react. You will show your disapproval of his actions, making him feel uncomfortable. So without further ado… you have ten minutes to get ready."

Most of the students seemed to be panicked. Acting with Tsuruga Ren himself… they didn't expect it from this cheap course. Some people started memorising their texts, saying it loud over and over again. Moko-san was annoyed. "Let's go." she commanded, making Kyoko surprised. "It's too loud in here." and so they walked away. "Moko-san! What kind of script did you get?", "Stop calling me like that, Mo!" she shouted. "It's nothing special.", "Oh, but please show me your paper!" Kanae sighed. "I've already threw it away.", "What? But did you memorise it correctly?", "Yes, it's noting difficult, really. What's more important – do you know how to act your scene?" Kyoko shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know the way Tsuruga-san will play it, so it's no use planning it anyway. I will just improvise.", 'She sure believes in his talent.' thought Kanae.

Tsuruga Ren at the same time was chilling out in the other part of the building. He knew, why the director made that weird challenge. It was his way to get through other actors' impatience. They shot almost every single scene, when he wasn't needed. Ren sighed. He hated the idea of making so much trouble for the others. He hoped that day would end up soon and he would have a chance to train his new Katsuki. 'Thinking that the one, who helped me was a chicken makes me feel uneasy."

The auditions started. They stood with the same order as previously, which gave Kyoko a lot of time to think about her role. 'I am an intrusive neighbour, who likes to stick her nose into a stranger's problem. I'm aware that he is cheating or he is close to do it. Should I say my lines in a mean way? It's a natural reaction in this kind of situation. But… it somehow doesn't feel right.' The other classmates tried their best, while acting with a celebrity. Most of them failed, tho. They were too stiff or they forgot their lines, when they looked into Ren's eyes. He was way too intimidating! He wasn't even trying to make it easy for them. 'They must be aware that this career is not an easy one and sometimes there are no second chances.'

Soon it was Kanae's attempt. Kyoko was focused on her friend. 'She will be the best one, I'm sure!' she quietly cheered her on. Kotonami-san didn't seem to be nervous at all, which brought Ren's attention. 'Can she be more professional than the others?' he smirked. He decided to do his best this time. They both bowed and Ogata-san shouted: "Action!"

Ren was standing in front of his apartment with concerned face. His gaze seemed to chase something or someone, who was far away. When he was to turn around and go back, he heard some coughing. Ren tried his best not to smile. 'No one said that they can't make other sounds." Now he was even more determined to play well. "Do you have any problem Miss?" she asked politely. His neighbour took a cigarette from her pocket and she lit it. They were both silent as she made a small puff of a smoke. "The walls have ears here." she looked sternly at him, while her voice was incredibly cold. He looked scared. "I'm not sure that I understand you Miss." he answered after a short break. She looked at her shoes and she smiled a little. "I'm not the one to judge, but there are plenty of people, who think differently, so please be careful." she said quietly and then she put out a stub on the wall. Afterwards she walked away without saying goodbye. The man was petrified.

"And cut!" director shouted. The whole room was silent. Kyoko wanted to hug her friend so badly! She was the one to make the room amazed, not Tsuruga Ren. Then almost everyone approached Kanae and congratulated her. Ren waited a little and then he joined the group. "I'm impressed." he complimented her. "I hope that we will have another chance to play against each other again." Kotonami-san bowed. "It would be my pleasure." Kyoko stood in the end of the room, lost in thoughts. Then she hit upon an idea.

 **AN/ Hello everyone~! Today my note will be short: thank you for following my story and I hope to see you soon~!**


	26. Seem a little wrong

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: Yes, I still do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters**.

Chapter 26

Seem a little wrong

There were some students, who managed to play their scenes properly, yet it was not Kanae's level of advancement. The girl gained some envious looks, since Tsuruga Ren paid her a little attention. Luckily, she couldn't care less. She had a job to do and she did it perfectly. That was the only thing that counted. However, Kanae could not stop secretly worrying about her friend. She hated that feeling, but she started to get used to it. Kyoko looked as calm as possible, which made Moko-san suspicious as well. 'She can't have an ace up her sleeve, can't she?'

Kyoko thought about her plan over and over again, trying to find it's weak points. She wasn't sure, if Tsuruga-san will play along and allow her to do this. He didn't get a good impression of her and he appeared to be unsparing. But then an image flashed in her memory. Tsuruga Ren smiling and accepting her apologise, giving her an advice and being passionate about his work. 'I trust him.' she realised. It was almost her turn. Kyoko felt a little ashamed, but soon that feeling vanished. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she was somebody else.

Ren was tired. That day was way too long and he dreamt of coming back home. He looked hopefully at his manager, but Yashiro shook his head. Ren sighed. There was only person that caught his attention and it was Kotonami-san. It was the first time since a long time, when someone made him act, not the other way around. He hoped she would be the chosen one. Getting more and more impatient, he looked at the last person to play. Ren was dumbfounded. 'I forgot that she was a part of this group. Great! Another bother.' He looked at her and somehow she seemed to behave differently than earlier. 'It may be interesting. Let's see, if she can _waste her time_ adequately.' They both bowed and Ogata-san started the scene with loud: "Action!"

As usual Ren looked longingly at the distance. He smiled bitterly and turned around to see his neighbour. She was standing seductively, while leaning against the door. Kyoko squinted, letting Ren start the dialogue. "Hello Miss." he said politely. "Is there any problem?" She ignored his question as she was gazing at him from top to toe. The looked in her eye showed that she was impressed. She came a little closer, moving alluringly. His eyes widened with shock. Kyoko smirked a little and drew even nearer.

"You have a nice fiancée." she started with a low voice as if she was trying to say something different. Ren held his breath. Kyoko encroached his comfort zone. Feeling hesitantly, he said: "It's not like that. She's her relative." Kyoko raised her eyebrow, trying to copy Ren's expression, that he had showed her earlier. It worked. He lost his composure for a second and she managed to make use of it. Kyoko touched his chest and looked at his embarrassed expression. "Um.. Miss. Can you take a step..." she hushed him up with her finger. She moved her hand a little and then she touched her lips saucily. When Ren didn't respond to her actions, she stepped aside with unsatisfied look on her face. More annoyed, Kyoko decided to change her strategy.

"You must have a nice fiancée." she whispered, breaking the audition's rules, but she wasn't herself back then, so she didn't mind. She tilted her head back, covering her face in the shadow. Ren shivered. "I hope you will make this clear, before she finds out." she said it casually, but Ren didn't miss the hidden message. It was a threat. She turned around and came back home.

The room was filled with a silence and it took some time, until the director broke it, shouting: "Cut!" The moment he said it, Kyoko paled and run towards the closest wall. She fell to the ground with some dark clouds around her head. Kanae rushed towards her. "Are you OK, Kyoko?" Ren took a quick breath, when he heard her name. 'It sounds so familiar… . No, there's no chance that I know her.', "Moko-san! What did I do?!" she cried. Kanae smiled a little. "You've just made a perfect scene, that's what you did." she whispered, not used to complimenting anyone. Kyoko's eyes widened. "B...but I acted so shamelessly!", "That's the point. You were very realistic. Although I want to know, how did you manage to create such a strong personality." Kyoko saddened. "My fi… you know who… is very attractive and there were a lot of girls, who acted this way towards him." she didn't want to admit that when she was alone, she used to train those movements in front of the mirror, hoping that one day Sho would find her appealing. She blushed a little.

Soon the rest of the group approached Kyoko and congratulated her the same way as they did before for Kanae. Uneki stood as far as possible. He couldn't believe his eyes and wanted to take a short break to make up his mind. When the crowd calmed down a little, Ren came closer. He smiled. "Thank you for working with me. I must admit, that I didn't expect this." Kyoko blushed even more. "I know that it's not your dream." he changed his voice a little. "Still I hope that one day you will change your mind. It would be a pleasure to act with you as well." he added, trying to hide his pride. She did her best and Ren had to acknowledge it. "Thank you too." she mumbled.

At the same time director Ogata had a mental break down. He had a vision, a very strong one. He saw a new antagonist or even rival for Mio. He knew a way to change the scenario quickly, but will the others approve it? He sighed deeply. 'I guess I don't have a luck with people named Kyoko.'

 **AN/ It was more entertaining to write than you can imagine :3. I hope that you enjoyed it as well and see you soon~!**


	27. Things are better unsaid

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 27

Things are better unsaid

Director Ogata sat in silence in an empty room, trying to figure things out. He totally fell for Kyoko's idea. Another charismatic character with strong personality standing in the way of true love. He could almost see the modifications in the script, which could allow this to happen. He sighed. 'I must remember that's a remake. A lot of people would hate the changes, no matter how good they are for the plot.' Then he thought about his main actor. 'The test is tomorrow. I hope he will manage to act properly.' but he secretly doubted it. He gave Ren way too much time. If he failed, it would be a disaster.

In the end it was Kanae, who got that role. No one was questioning director's decision, though a lot of people hoped that Kyoko would win. There was something appealing in her character and they wanted to see her in action once more. Kyoko wasn't envious. For her it was like the best case scenario – she didn't have to confront director Ogata and her friend would be a little closer to making her dream come true. Nevertheless she felt a little disappointed. Somewhere deep within her heart, Kyoko hoped that the director would recognise her. That she impressed someone well enough to be remembered. She closed her eyes, trying to get rid of those sad thoughts. The day was coming to an end. Finally.

Kouki knew that his brother would be there. He always trained boxing, while fighting with his own demons. No wonder he was in a good shape after all. Kouki waved at him, making sure Uneki was aware of his presence. "Hi! Tough day, right?", "You can't even imagine." he muttered. Kouki sat down on the floor and looked at his brother concernedly. "It's been bothering me for a while, but… aren't you overreacting? I can't even tell what did she do wrong." Uneki hit a punching bag with a huge sound. "She?", "Oh, don't act as if you didn't know! You're a better actor than that!", "OK. It's about her. What do you want to know?" he said after a short silence. "What made you act like that? I mean, she did a great job, didn't she? You should be proud.", "And I am, really. It's just that… I don't even know what's wrong any more. She's my student...", "Who you fell for." added Kouki as he got up off the floor.

"Stop teasing me. It won't help me now." Kouki shook his head. "You're as stubborn as ever. If you are a professional, you should be aware of your feelings. No wonder you didn't become a successful actor." He provoked his brother to make him more serious. It worked. Uneki got close to him in no time, grabbing his shirt. "I'm really not in a good mood, so be more careful around me." Kouki could only smile at that statement. "So you don't love her.", "No, I don't.", "So you weren't just envious earlier?", "No, I wasn't." Kouki smiled widely. "So if I steal her from you, you won't mind?", "I wo… what are you talking about?!", "Busted." he whispered and left the room in order not to get beaten up. It's not like Uneki was brutal or something. Kouki knew that he crossed the line.

"I didn't know that you liked training in this gym." he said peering at Naoko. She smiled whimsically. "I like this place." she looked around, probably for the first time, since she got there. "Sometimes I wonder how can you be in the perfect place at the perfect time. That's quite a skill." Naoko chuckled. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I accept your compliment."

Then she got more serious. "How is he?", "You act as if you didn't know." she shook her head. "I heard only the end of your conversation. I dunno anything else." Kouki's face became stern. "What is your purpose: gossip or do you really care." she sighed. "I hoped that after all these years, you started to trust me. Guess I was wrong. You know that you are like my brothers.", "So… no. He's not OK at all.", "And the best way to make him feel better is to become his love rival? God, I thought that I was the controversial one in our team!" Kouki sighed. "Do you know any better solution? If we don't do anything soon, she might fall for somebody else. I don't want to see him heartbroken again." Naoko looked at him suspiciously. "You know something, we don't, right?" he only nodded. "OK. So I'm in. You can count on me." he smiled. "Welcome on the board then." He was about to leave, when she stopped him. "Aye, captain! I've got one question left.", 'Of course she does.', "I'm listening." Naoko took a deep breath and asked: "You do it only for Uneki's sake, don't you?". "Yes, of course." he avoided her eyes though.

He left, making her feel horribly alone. 'He can't be lying.' or so she hoped. She tried to work out, since she was in the gym, but her body worked automatically. Naoko liked Kyoko. She really didn't want to treat her as a love rival. 'Ugh… I can't think about it!' so she tried to concentrate on Uneki's problem. Then she realised something. 'If Uneki starts dating with Kyoko, Kouki will back off. He couldn't do something like that to his brother. He feels guilty enough. So if I help Uneki then I won't have to care so much about Kouki… I feel like a really bad person.' But she had already made up her mind. 'I hope he won't hate me for that.'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your feedback! It makes me happy… I feel like repeating myself… . So! Sorry for the filler, I just need some more time to come back to the main plot… or just to start writing the main plot xp. I hope you enjoyed it and see you soon~!**


	28. A little harmless diversion

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 28

A little harmless diversion

Naoko wasn't surprised when she saw Kyoko in front of the classroom, reading a book. That girl was always the first one to come there. 'And I thought that I am an early bird.' Naoko shook her head. 'This girl must hide some secrets.' Truth be told, Kyoko was always in a rush in order to get there. She tried to avoid Sho in the mornings. First of all, he was always very moody at the beginning of the day and she hated to be responsible for his awaking. Secondly, she despised herself for hiding the truth about her courses, so not seeing him could help her relax before her lessons.

"Hello Mogami-san!", "Good morning Saito-san!" she said cheerfully. Naoko felt guilty again, but she was helping another person at the same time. 'It can't be this bad, right?',"What are you reading?", "Oh, it's a book about acting. Azuma-san lent it to me." Kyoko smiled. "Which one?" chuckled Naoko. "U..uneki-san." she blushed a little, having mental barriers, which didn't allow her to say people's first names. 'Got lucky this time. Look at her! Her face is so red! There's a chance for Uneki for sure.', "Sounds interesting. Did you learn anything new from it?", "Yes!" answered Kyoko, glad that Naoko didn't comment her blush. "I really enjoy reading it. Maybe Azuma-san will lend it for you too. Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say that you need it or anything!" and she fell on the floor in deep dogenza. Naoko couldn't resist and laughed loudly. "Please, stand up, before someone sees us. They may think that I'm some kind of bully." Kyoko's eyes got tearful. "I'm so sorry! I didn't want anyone to think that way!" she got up and bowed deeply.

"By the way, it's really nice of Azuma-san that he lent you that book." Naoko tried to change the topic quickly. Kyoko smiled lightly. "Yes, it is. I didn't even know that the books like these existed. It's really well-written.", 'And there she is, contemplating about some book, while I try to make her think about a boy. Hmm…', "Mogami-san, do you have a boyfriend?" that question caught her out of the guard. She blushed deeply, not sure what to think about it. "No, I don't." 'It's not a lie after all.' She somehow didn't felt like confessing it. Maybe not telling the bigger gossip girl in the building about her relationships was some kind of instinct of self-preservation? No matter the reason, the die was cast. Naoko decided that nothing prevented her from playing a matchmaker.

"Why do you ask?", "Oh, no particular reason. I was just curious. Back to the main topic then: do you know how the origins of this acting course?", "No, I don't." said Kyoko, not sure why it was connected to the main topic… and what the main topic was. "Few years ago I attended some super expensive courses. To make long story short, they were basically useless. Luckily I wasn't the only one, who thought the same way. During those lessons I met Kouki-san and then his younger brother Uneki-san. It was pretty much obvious that they were serious and passionate about acting. They hated the idea of wasting their money on that course, especially since they were never rich in the first place. I understood their feelings and soon they bloomed into an idea. We created our own school, which could give anyone a chance to learn acting. The most revolutionary thought was that it should be cheap, since we are not professional teachers."

"Was it successful since the very beginning?" asked Kyoko, slightly enchanted by this story. "Ha ha ha, not at all! You can say that it was a huge disaster. But a beautiful one. We learnt from our mistakes and managed to create something amazing." Kyoko nodded agreeably. 'I was wondering what was the reason of Uneki's and Kou… of Uneki's feelings. Now I can see. She can be charming if she wants to.', "We've met a lot of incredibly creative people and got a chance to cooperate with them. There was not a single moment in my life, when I regretted that decision. I believe that everyone should have something precious to their heart… or someone." Naoko added, getting ready for the final blow. "Oh, I'm so anxious for Uneki-san!", "Did something bad happen?!" Kyoko asked horrified. 'Gotcha.', "No, it's not that. I just feel like he's hiding something from me. Kouki-san thinks the same. I hate the idea of Uneki-san fighting something alone. If only there was someone, who could talk to him!" she tried not to roll her eyes. 'I can't be more obvious, can I?', "I can help!" Kyoko shouted. "If you want me to… . But I'm not his friend, so it may be seen as intruding or something." Naoko sighed. "I'm glad that Uneki-san didn't hear that. He thinks of you as a friend if not someone more important… ." she added quietly, but even if she shouted it, Kyoko would not notice the allusion. "Then I will be of help.", "I'm happy to hear it. So… here's a plan." She introduced Kyoko to her idea, which made the latter blush a lot, but she agreed.

Later that day she found Uneki, reading some important looking papers. 'He sure has some problem.', "Um, good morning Azuma-san!", "Good morning Mogami-san." he cheered up instantly. "I... I was wondering if you were free after today's lessons." she mumbled quickly. 'Is she trying to ask me on a date?' his hopes rose. 'I shouldn't do this, since she's my student. But if we go somewhere after the lessons…', "Yes, I am.", "Oh! That's great. I was wondering… could you help me with some acting task. I don't understand it." he tried not to show his disappointment. 'It's some progress at least.', "Yes, it would be a pleasure. Where do you want to meet?" They discussed all the important matters, when Kouki showed up out of the nowhere. "Mogami-san! Can I _steal_ you for a moment?" he asked, looking directly at his younger brother. It was a prelude of war.

 **AN/ Hi! I still can't believe that three weeks ago I didn't even think about writing fanfiction. You guys are awesome! You make me want to write more and I really enjoy doing it. I hope you liked it and see you soon~!**


	29. Too late to let go

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 29

Too late to let go

"Of course Azuma-san." she bowed apologetically to Uneki and hurried after his older brother. 'He can't be serious about her, right?' He stared deadly at Kouki. He noticed it, but ignored it wholeheartedly. "Is something wrong Azuma-san?" asked Kyoko when they were finally alone. "Well, I was just wondering if Ogata-san recognised you yesterday." he regretted asking, when he saw her sad face. The sadness was visible only for one second. 'She's good at hiding her true emotions. Is she a promising actress or someone with a difficult past? Or present. Or both.' Kouki shook his head quickly, trying to throw away his thoughts. It made Kyoko smile a little. "Luckily he didn't.", "But how is that possible? He must have known your name at least.", "You know… when I took part in Fuwa Sho's PV it was decided that they will show my nickname in the credits. We decided to use only _Kyoko_. And there are a lot of people with that name, not to mention that I could use it as a real nickname, hiding my true name." she explained to Kouki, trying to convince herself at the same time.

Kouki looked at her worryingly, but decided not to dig any deeper. "I guess that must be the case. Nevertheless you did a great job during the audition. I was really proud of you." she blushed a little. "I was able to do this only thanks to your and other teachers' help." she bowed quickly. "Thank you for everything. If there's anything that I can do to show you my gratitude, please tell me." He tried not to chuckle. 'She's paying for it and yet she's willing to do something more to thank us. Oh my Kami! Uneki has a specific taste in girls for sure!', "So why don't we go to the café after today's lesson?" Kyoko was confused. "But why?", 'So dense.' thought Kouki. "I didn't sleep well last night and I have trouble concentrating. A cup of coffee could bring me back to life. Since I hate drinking it alone, your company could help me a lot." he wanted to high five himself. 'I should be the one teaching improvisation.'

Kyoko was thinking for a second and then said: "I think it's a great idea. If you don't want to drink it alone, me and your brother will keep you a company.", "That's grea… what? What do you mean you _and_ Uneki?" she blushed a little. "Oh, I already have plans with Azuma-san. He promised me to help with some errands. I hope you don't mind since he's your brother.". 'Checkmate.' thought cloudily Kouki. 'Was he faster than me? I should be happy, right?' But somehow, he wasn't. "Was he inviting you, when I interrupted you?", "It's not like you disturbed us. We've already planned everything. And I was the one to invite him, because I need his help." she explained. "Sound great. I can't wait for it." he lied smoothly.

Lory looked at Ren interestingly. He did not expect any change in his acting and he was positively surprised by that. His Katsuki seemed to be more real than previously and he knew that Ren gave his best to achieve that level. 'It's such a shame though.' thought the president of the LME. 'I played enough otome games to know that he didn't do this alone. I would like to meet the one, who helped him.' The more he thought about it, the more excited he got. Could it be that his pupil had finally found someone to open his heart to? He really hoped so. Nevertheless, today he was on the set to do something important and he could not let his guard down. 'I wonder, what's director Ogata thinking right now? Ren definitely improved his skills, but is he satisfied with it?' Lory wasn't. 'I'd love to give him more time, but it's impossible now. Moreover I think he hit his acting limits. There is no way to act as someone in love without experiencing it at least one.' He sighed. 'Ren's not gonna like it.'

Later that day Ren heard the final decision. It was disastrous. Although he was praised for improving his acting, it was said that it wasn't enough. He accepted their judgement humbly. Ren bowed and apologised to every single stuff member. It was an unusual sight and it made some people really sad about that situation. But there was nothing else to be done about it. Tsuruga-san planned the press conference with Lory. They decided that they would announce the change in the cast the moment they find someone to replace him.

Yashiro tried to cheer him up, but he failed miserably. Ren wasn't in a good mood and refused to eat his lunch. He chose to wander around for the last time. It reminded him of that girl, who _wasted her time_ yesterday. 'I must be really angry at her to still remember this.' However he was impressed by her acting and hoped to play with her once more. 'This time though, I will be the one to make her act the way I want.' It brought him some hope for the future.

Before he noticed, he was already in the place, where he had met that weird chicken. 'I expect that he won't feel responsible for my failure. If it wasn't for him, I'd only embarrass myself.' And then an idea come to his mind. 'Maybe I will find him and say my thanks?' And so he did. Quickly he was able to get to know that the chicken was called Bo and that he was shooting special episode. He managed to find him. "Hello again. I hope that I'm not intruding you in your work.", "No, not at all!" shouted chicken. Weirdly enough, he had different voice as if it was… a girl. The person in front of him took off her costume. It was short, blond haired girl. "It's nice to meet you Tsuruga-san!", "Um… I'm glad as well. I wanted to thank you for yesterday.", "I don't understand." Ren was dumbfounded. "Weren't you helping me lately?", "No, I see you for the first time and there is no one else, who acts as a Bo." So he rapidly said his goodbye and hurried to the costume lady. With a little bit of flirting he got all the information needed. He picked his phone. "Hello president? I have a small request."

 **AN/ Hello again! Look at these numbers! My story earned 50 reviews! Thank you sooo much~! You made my day, if not life ;P. I really hoped you liked it and see you soon~!**


	30. Words get broken

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 30

Words get broken

Kyoko didn't suspect anything and enjoyed her tea cheerfully. The other two men could only be jealous of her good mood. Even the waitress was able to sense the tense atmosphere and spent with them as little time as possible. The only moment that Kyoko didn't find funny was when Uneki asked, what her problem was. She improvised something, but it didn't sound persuasively. 'Maybe she just wanted to spend some time with me?' hoped Uneki. 'But why would she invite Kouki as well?', while Kouki thought: 'Why did she invite Uneki? She seemed not to have any particular problem that needed his help.' So they shared deadly glares each time Kyoko looked away. And it happened often. The café was decorated and looked like a forest. She dreamt of seeing a fairy. It reminded her of Corn. 'I wish I could see him again and thank him. Only thanks to his help I could finish Sho's video shooting.' But then she suddenly felt ashamed. How could she explain him that he helped her understand love more? She blushed. Both of the men thought that they were the reason of her reaction.

Kyoko, unaware of the hopes that she had just made, ordered them some ice-creams. It wasn't the same as eating with Moko-san, but her friend rejected all of her invitations ever since the last time they went somewhere together. 'Is it because of the last audition? Will she abandon me, when she becomes famous?' She knew her answer. It was natural that people stopped caring about her. Maybe they had never cared in the first place? She wasn't sure. 'Yes, since it's my fault, I shouldn't be so surprised. I should be happy that I have two friends in front of me.' And she smiled widely, making them unsure about their feelings. 'Who is she smiling at?' they thought at the same time.

"Azuma-san." she started. "Which one?" smiled Kouki. "Um… Uneki-san…" he blushed a lot. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you angry!" totally misunderstood Kyoko. "No, it's OK. I'm not mad at you." Uneki shook his head. "Actually… since it's uncomfortable to know two people with the same surname, why don't you just call me this way?", "And you can call me Kouki-san as well." quickly added the other man. Kyoko felt slightly uncomfortable, but then she realised that it was their way to offer her friendship. 'I will gladly accept it.', "Thank you very much." she bowed and somehow the atmosphere got better and better.

"What did you want to ask me earlier?" said Uneki. "Oh, I just remembered that you told me that you act in a theatre. When will your next play be held?", "We haven't decided yet. We still look for some actors for minor roles. I always want to recommend my students, but it's against the rules." he sighed. "But we've already started practising, so it shouldn't take a long time. Do you still want to watch it?" his hopes raised. "Yes, I'd love to." Then they had a pleasurable chit-chat, when Uneki excused himself for a second and walked to the bathroom.

"You should really see him acting." started Kouki. "Usually he's rather timid and reserved, but when he's on a stage, he becomes someone incredible. Since I'm his brother, it may seem like a bragging, but you should see it yourself." Kyoko nodded. "I'm looking forward to it. I was wondering about if for a while, but what are you exactly doing, when not teaching us? If it's not something you don't want to say." Kouki seemed concerned and then he made a serious face. "To be honest, I'm a criminal. I tell you this, because I trust you. The only reason, why I teach acting is that it's a great cover." Kyoko paled. "It can't be real, can it?" there was a moment of silence. "Of course not!" he burst out with laughter. "If only you could see your face! You really did believe me!", "It's not my fault that you acted so convincingly!" Nevertheless, soon she joined the laughter. Uneki saw them from a distance. 'Maybe I should back up?' But instead, he decided to look at them and estimate his chances.

"OK. Now I will be one hundred percent honest. I'm some kind of shadow on the set. I'm doing everything and anything at the same time. If there is some work to be done, I'm the one to do this. Sometimes I write, sometimes I manage and sometimes I just encourage other people." he admitted. "That's impressive! You must be very talented!" he looked at his feet. "No, I'm not. You're just being too nice. I'm not someone like Uneki or Ogata-san.", "How did you meet the director?", "We were in the same university. I'm two years older than him, but we quickly became friends. We worked together dozens of times and we can always count on each other." he smiled. Kyoko enjoyed his stories so far, but they made her realise that they are from different words. She graduated from a secondary school, he was after a university. He was professional and she could not even accept an offer. She wanted to change the subject as fast as possible.

"Where is Uneki-san? It's almost twenty minutes now, since he left." They looked around not to see him anywhere. Kouki had some bad gut feelings. He checked his mobile phone. "Sorry, something happened. I had to go. Please, apologise to Mogami-san." Without saying a word, he showed her the screen. "I hope it's nothing serious." she said worried. "I guess it's something about his work, but don't be concerned about it. He will be fine no matter what." And soon they parted and went their own directions.

Lory sat in his office dressed as a cowboy. He tried to lasso his mobile phone, but he failed again. 'It's not my day.' Then he looked at his phone, thinking what steps to take. 'It's rare for him to ask me for something. I still feel guilty about the Dark Moon. I should help him at least.' He lassoed again, this time doing it right. More satisfied than ever, he called Sebastian. "Hello? Do you have some time? … Yes. Please get me as much information as possible about Mogami Kyoko."

 **AN/ Dum, dum, duuum! As always I want to thank you for all of your reviews! As you can see, I really tried to speed things up this time :) . I hope you liked it and see you soon~!**


	31. Hardly a bolt from the blue

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 31

Hardly a bolt from the blue

This time Uneki trained alone, not disturbed by anyone. He was hitting a boxing bag evenly, trying to distance his thoughts from a body movement. It worked well enough, so he started doing faster punches. Then he saw Kyoko and Kouki laughing in his mind. Uneki froze for a second. Before he realised, the boxing bag was rushing towards him. He didn't have enough time to prepare his hands to block the impact, so he turned quickly. The bag hit his forearm, making him curl up in pain. Even though his eyes got tearful, he resisted shouting. Uneki waited for a moment and then stood up angrily. It was the first time that the training didn't help him at all.

Kyoko got home a little later than usual. Truth be told, it started to be normal that she was coming back in the evening. Sho didn't ask her about it, which she really appreciated. Kyoko hurried and made a supper for them. They sat down and ate it silently. "I've got something for you." he said, breaking the quietness. He gave her a small box. 'It's too big to be a ring.' she thought. "What is it?", "Why don't you open it then?" Kyoko was anxious. "Do we celebrate something today?" Sho sighed and took the box. "If you don't want it, then it's OK.", "No, I want it." she grabbed it and opened before he could react. He chuckled a little. 'Isn't he angry?' She risked and smiled back. There was a new mobile phone inside of the box. She held it carefully. "You're coming back home late recently. If you know that you're not gonna make it in time, just send me a text or something..." Kyoko could not help herself and hugged her fiancé. "Thank you so much!"

Then he left the room to take a shower. He had given her his phone, so as to copy all the necessary numbers. Trying to ignore the ones from some random girls, she saved Sho's number, than his mother's and Shoko's. She was hesitant, but then she decided to send the last one a text. "Hello, it's Mogami Kyoko. It's my new phone number, so call me each time you can't get in touch with Sho. I'm sorry for taking your number and calling you so late in the evening." she sent it and sat down on her bed. 'That was unexpected. But it really made my day.'

She was about to drift away, when the door opened. "Are you sleeping yet?", "No." she sat down and looked at Sho questionably. "Do you remember the promise I made two weeks ago?" Kyoko nodded, thanking silently the darkness for hiding her blush. "I asked Shoko for a free afternoon and she suggested tomorrow. Do you want to go somewhere together?", "Yes, I'd love to." she smiled. "Good. Then call me after your lessons." They parted and soon Kyoko fall asleep, dreaming about her prince.

The next day Kyoko got ready earlier and took some clothes for the date. She could not concentrate that day, which angered Naoko. 'I heard that she went somewhere with Kouki. That was not a part of my plan. Did something happen between those two?' She wasn't the only one to notice the change in Kyoko's behaviour. 'Now that I think about it, I haven't asked her about the date of her wedding yet. Will she invite me, since I'm her fr… since she treats me as her friend?' thought Kanae.

During the lunch break Kyoko exchanged the phone numbers with most of the group. She was sure that she wouldn't use most of them in the future, yet it excited her. It was a first time she had a nice relation with her class. Ever since her childhood, she wasn't able to make friends easily thanks to Sho's popularity. Now that no one knew her true relation with him, Kyoko had a chance to catch up those years of loneliness.

The moment she saw Uneki, she hurried to him. "Hello Uneki-san! Did everything end up well yesterday?" he was pleased to hear her saying his first name, though he desired that one day she would say it without the "san" part. "Yes, thanks for asking. I hope my absence wasn't inconvenient. I had to deal with some important things.", 'My thoughts to specify.', "I'm glad to hear it. I just got my first mobile phone. Can I ask you for your number?" He quickly dictated her it. "OK, I hope I remembered it correctly. By the way, is everything going well? I heard that you were acting differently today." she blushed a little. "It's nothing really. I just wondered if I could go home earlier today.", "Yes, why not? But please make sure that Kotonami-san will tell you what you are going to miss.", "Thank you. Then I will get going!" she hurried and left the room. Uneki sat down in silence, lost in thoughts. 'Is she going somewhere with Kouki? He told me that he would be busy with work today. Did he lie?'

Kyoko called Sho and soon they were eating together in the same place as previously. They enjoyed their time and finally had a chance to talk to each other. Sho summarised his two weeks in work and Kyoko shared her happiness about courses. She had to lie a little about the details, but she was getting used to it. 'I am a horrible fiancée to think this way. But somehow I can't regret it.' Then she excused herself and went to the bathroom, leaving her bag.

Unfortunately, her phone rung. 'Who can call her right now? Did she exchange her number with someone? She's too fast.' With no hesitation he picked up. "Hello Mogami-san. You left your jacket in the school. Will you pick it up tomorrow or do you want to meet somewhere, so I can give it back?" Sho was angered by the fraternised voice. "Who the hell are you?!" There was a second of silence on the other side. "Um.. did I call Mogami Kyoko? She gave me this number today.", 'Oh, did she?', "You didn't answer. I'm gonna hung up if you don't tell me your name.", "I'm Azuma Uneki, Mogami-san's acting teacher. Who are you then?" Sho was pissed off. "Not your interest." And he hung up.

That day Uneki was to give her up. She wasn't destined for him and he could understand it. But now the situation has changed. 'I don't know who he is, but I won't let him lay his hand on her.' He made up his mind. 'This time it won't be Kouki, that guy or anyone else. Tomorrow I will make her fall for me.'

 **AN/ Today I laughed with my brother, while talking about present perfect (pls, don't judge). I was glad to use this time… this time ;P. Sorry, I couldn't stop myself. Tomorrow I will try to smuggle the future perfect continuous. Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, favouring and staying with me! I'm so happy that there are no words to describe it. I hope you had a great day and see you soon~!**


	32. The storm is chasing

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 32

The storm is chasing

"You will have been writing your speech by Saturday. Then I will check it and send it to someone prom PR department. Ren, are you even listening?" Yashiro was slowly loosing his patience. "Yes, I am." His manager sighed. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind recently." Yukihito nodded. "I understand. Things have not been easy since the Lory's intervention. But I want you to know that you're a great actor and soon you will get an even better role!" Ren wasn't listening again. "What's so interesting outside the window?" He looked at the same spot to see some ordinary girl. "Do you know her?" But before he could answer, he walked out of the café. 'What is she doing here?' he thought for a second and hurried to her side.

Few minutes earlier Kyoko came back from the toilet. She had to set her make-up right. It was something new to her – trying to look nice for her boyfriend. Luckily Moko-san borrowed her some cosmetics and she didn't have to buy new ones. Kyoko didn't expect what was about to happen. She saw Sho and knew that something was not right. He was clenching his fists and looking at one spot as if trying to hide his emotions. She shivered. Whatever the reason was, the fact remained that she did not want to approach him that time.

Suddenly he raised his head and looked straight at her. Then Sho glanced at the window and walked out of the building. Kyoko, feeling something bad coming, followed him. He stood in some narrow alley with no one else around, far from the main street. He shouted: "What the hell did you do?! Who is he, since when do you go out?! And most importantly: why acting courses?!" She stepped back and processed all the information. 'He knows about the courses, but how? And who is he talking about? Me going out…?', "I don't understand Sho. What are you talking about?", "Oh, so that's why you chose acting courses! So that you could lie to me so easily!" Kyoko took another step back, frightened of his irascible behaviour. "It's not like that Sho! Yes, I lied and attended some acting courses, but only because I wanted to spend my free time before marriage productively. I don't plan to be an actress, since I know that I'm not talented enough!", "Oh, I think you should consider becoming one, since you can play around with people so easily! And all this time I was wondering if you liked your cooking courses and today I was to ask you to prepare some delicious food for supper. I believed you! How could you?!", "I'm so sorry!" She burst out in tears.

He run towards her, his face only inches away from hers. "You're sorry? You're sorry?! I should be the one, who is sorry, because my fiancée is cheating with some kind of acting looser!", "What are you talking about? I'm not cheating on you!" Everything happened too fast. He raised his hand and slapped her cheek. Her head turned around, while her face started to get reddish. With eyes widened, she looked petrified at her fiancé. Sho seemed to be surprised by his own actions. He opened his mouth as if he was to apologise, but she didn't give him a chance to do so. Kyoko let her legs lead her as she run away. The wind was drying her tears, as she quickly passed street after street.

She stopped in some unknown area, felling broken and torn apart. Kyoko grabbed her bag to see that it was still there, unlike her mobile phone. 'So that's what happened. Someone must have phoned me. But why did he pick up?' Even thinking about him, made her heart ache. More then physical pain, it was the mental one that made her fall down. She touched her cheek unconsciously to see a blood on her hand. He had hit forcefully. Kyoko did nothing wrong. Yes, she lied, but he gave her no choice. Why was he against her acting so much? She could not find any answer. Then she looked inside her bag once more. He was still there, hidden in a small purse.

Kyoko held her purple stone uncertainly and delicately. 'Please Corn, help me. I'm in some unfamiliar place, with no phone or money whatsoever. And someone I love didn't trust me enough to listen to me. He even…' her eyes got tearful again, so she sobbed quietly, hugging her precious treasure close to her heart. 'I shouldn't use you so often, but today I can see no other way. I'm sorry for being useless and crying all the time. I promise I will change, but please. Please, help me today.' She ended her silent prayer and raised the stone above her head. The sky was slightly clouded, but the magic did it's best. She saw Corn turning orange as her heart felt at ease. "Thank you." she whispered and slowly stood up. Looking at the sky again, she found some way to solve her problem. Kyoko smiled a little and hurried to the first stranger she could see. 'There is always a way.'

Ren stood, when he saw her falling down. He knew that he should check if everything was OK, but somehow he felt deep inside that he should leave her alone for now. If her wound was more visible, Ren would have run towards her as fast as possible. 'What is she doing here? This place is well-know to the celebrities, so normally she shouldn't know about this area. What was her name again? Something starting with a K… .' Then she took her purple stone. His memory flooded with images. A small girl crying alone in that forest. Her stories, which were way too depressing to be told by a six year old child. How her face lighted when she assumed that he was a fairy. The stone, which he gave her, so that she would be happy each time, she looked at it. He smiled a little. 'How did your life change Kyoko-chan?'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Yes, I used future perfect continuous and I'm proud of it! Today I heard that one particular song for the 333th time, so I guess I can tell you the title. It's "Beautiful disaster" by MIKA and FEDEZ. Somehow it makes me creative, so I thought of sharing it with you. Anyway, I hope you had a great day and see you soon~!**


	33. In need of some protection

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 33

In need of some protection

Being lost in the biggest city in the country should be discouraging, yet Kyoko enjoyed it somehow. She did not know where she was, but it wasn't tragic at all. Kyoko could always ask someone for help or at least – to tell her the address. But that day she felt like wasting some of her time, while looking at the surrounding. So she turned around and gave up the idea of approaching anyone. It was quite a nice afternoon. She saw people hurrying to some other places, holding their mobile phones and not realising the beauty of the moment. Kyoko smiled a little. Normally she would be one of those people, but that day her life gave her a chance to slow down and appreciate small things. Yes, the previous events should be traumatizing for her, but she had a strong personality and Corn erased her sadness. So she walked down the street, not aware of the forthcoming obstacles.

Uneki wanted to do something so badly! 'If Kyoko is with that freak right now, he can do something bad to her!' He was sure about it. But he didn't know where she was. Moreover, he wasn't close enough with her to interfere. It could scare her away. He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it. He only hoped that his inkling was wrong. 'At least I know now that she's not with Kouki.' Then he realised that there is at least one thing that he could do that day. He took his mobile phone and wrote a text: "I know you're busy, but come back here, when you've got a moment.", 'Well, that should do this.'

It was slowly getting darker and Kyoko shivered. She wanted to put her jacket on, when she noticed that it wasn't in her bag. 'I must have left it in school.' Kyoko didn't feel like sightseeing any more. She hurried to the first stranger in a row and asked where she was. After hearing the answer, she decided to go to her school, since it was the closest place. She asked someone else for some directions and soon she saw her acting courses building. Kyoko got lucky.

The lights were still on, but she could tell that the lessons ended some time ago. It could be a problem for her. Kyoko planned to catch Moko-san and beg her to sleep over in her house. She didn't want to see Sho, since it would feel like loosing. He hurt her. She didn't want to go easy on him. A little hesitant as she was, Kyoko opened the door and entered the building. "Um.. hello? Is anyone here?" she shouted, while walking through an empty corridor. Kyoko was doing her best not to freak out, but it looked like one of these horrors that she watched with Sho. He would tease her after the end of the film, but she knew deep down that it was his way to hide his fear. Now she was all alone with nothing to shield her from this world's dangers. She was about to come into one of the classrooms, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Aaie!" she screamed in panic. She turned around to see Uneki, standing in front of her. "I'm so sorry to scare you. I saw you a moment ago and thought to meet you, but I didn't plan to frighten you." Kyoko blushed. "I'm the one to sorry. I shouldn't come here, when the lessons are over.", "It's no problem." Uneki smiled. "Did you come back for your jacket?" Kyoko was abashed. "Yes, I mean no. I think yes, but… it's a long story and I don't feel like sharing it.", "It's OK. Can I help you then?" She lowered her head. "I… um… do you have Kotonami-san's number? And will you let me use your mobile phone to call her?" Kyoko felt ashamed, but there was no other way. "Yes, of course. Just give me a second." he dialled the number and handed her his phone. She smiled a little as he walked away to give her some privacy.

"Moko-san!" she cried unwittingly. "Can I ask you for something?", "What's happening Kyoko? Why are you calling from Uneki's phone? Did he do something bad to you?" Kyoko could do nothing but chuckle after hearing her concerned voice. 'It's nice to have friends.', "Don't worry, he didn't do anything. It's just… can I stay in your home for tonight? I promise I won't take too much space and I will wake up as soon as possible and leave and never come back again, and...", "Stop it, mo!" Kanae interrupted her in mid-sentence. "Of course you can stay at my place for as long as you need it. But I guess that you won't like being here. I've got a huge family.", "It's OK, I'd love to meet them.", "You will change your mind quickly. Nevertheless, where are you now? Will it be a problem for you to get to my house?" Kyoko didn't think about it earlier. It was a late evening and it was dangerous to go anywhere alone. Especially when it was so distant place from where she was at that moment. She sighed. "I will figure it out. Just give me your address." They said their goodbyes and soon Kyoko hung up.

"I'm sorry, but I happened to hear the end of your conversation. I think I can help you." Kyoko jumped a little, when she heard Uneki's voice. "I'm sorry. I scared you again. My fault. I guess me giving you a ride would be the best apologise.", "Oh, you've already done so much for me! I can't take advantage of you!", "Don't mention it. That's what friends do." he gave her jacket and lead her to his car. 'Calm down Uneki. It's just a coincidence. But it's also a chance to get to know more about her situation.' he smiled a little as he looked at the girl he loved.

 **AN/ Hello everyone~! Happy Halloween! Is it celebrated in your country? In my not ;(. When I was little I wanted to wear some spooky costume and get some free candies, but my parents didn't allow me to do so. I'm so envious! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see you soon~!**


	34. Lies and mystery

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 34

Lies and mystery

Ren sat down in Lory's office, trying to get used to the cactuses and horse statues all around him. 'Wild west, huh?' When he saw Kyoko earlier that day, he wanted to approach her, tell her that he was Corn and renew their friendship. He could not exactly understand why, but he felt like being close with that girl. 'She didn't change a lot.' he thought. 'But what is she doing in Tokyo. I heard she was to be the next Okami in that ryokan in Kyoto. Did her plans change?' But then he remembered their conversation. 'Wasting her time… . I don't understand any of it.' Then the door opened and he stood up to greet the president of the LME. Lory Takanada, looking more like a cowboy than a businessman, walked into the room with a wind in his hair. Literally. There were at least four people holding fans to make that impression. 'Some people don't change.'

"Good evening Ren! To what do I owe this honour to see you at this hour?" Tsuruga-san bowed deeply, before he answered. "Good evening. I should be the one asking, since it was you, who invited me here today.", "Oh, no fun at all. You could at least play along for a bit more." he sighed. "Actors! They can act whoever they want, but only during their working hours!" Lory grumbled a little and then cheered up.

"Two days ago you asked me to make some small investigation about that person, hiding in a chicken's costume. I must add that it sounds just wrong in so many ways, but I agreed, since you're my favourite actor." Ren smiled. "A compliment? I guess you didn't get a lot of information then. But praising me won't make me feel better now, so can you tell me what you know?" Lory shook his head. "So impatient! Oh, you are right. I didn't get to know a lot about that girl.", "So it's a girl." Ren mumbled. "If you interfere me during every single sentence, I'm not gonna tell you anything.", "I'm sorry.", "You have better. That girl is a nice mystery I must say. Each time I was close to find something about her, someone interrupted me. It, of course, made me even more hyped up!" Ren smiled listening to his story. "So I found that not someone, but something was hiding facts about her. And when I say _something_ I mean Akatoki Agency."

They were silent for a moment. "Do you suggest that she was sent to the film set so as to spy on our project?" he could not believe his own words. "It may be a possibility, but I don't think that's the case. I want to believe that she is in some kind of complicated relationship with one of their stars or she is their next star herself. Maybe she went there to see how a big production like Dark Moon is being held. I'm not sure, so we shouldn't draw any conclusions now.", "So… what else did you find out about her?" Lory ignored his question and looked outside his window. 'It's her private information. How much can I reveal? And why do Ren even care about her? He really made me excited about all of these.' Ren coughed to bring Lory's attention back to him. "The only thing that we are sure about is that she's attending some acting courses. Did you hear about Azuma Kouki? He's one of their teachers." Ren concentrated and reminded himself on the man, who talked to Kyoko earlier. 'So that chicken may know Kyoko-chan as well.', "Yes, I managed to meet him, though we didn't talk with each other.", 'It's getting more and more interesting.' thought Lory.

"And… we know her name." Ren looked at his boss again, feeling that this information may change something. He wasn't sure, if he wanted to know it, but since Lory took so much effort to get that facts, he nodded slightly. "Her name is… ."

"Mogami-san, are you sure that you're OK?" asked Kouki, visibly concerned. "Yes, I'm feeling well. Thank you for your concern." She smiled at her teacher, who became her friend recently. But he wasn't blind. He could see a scratch on her cheek, luckily with no blood around it. 'It still looks fresh.', "Mogami-san, I treat you as my friend…", 'Today.', "… and I think that you can be honest with me. Did… that boy hurt you?" Kyoko tried her best to keep a cool head. 'How does he know about it?' She decided to lie. "I don't know, what you are talking about. I stumbled and hurt myself by an accident few hours ago. There is no one else involved." Kyoko smiled a little and closed her eyes. She could not lie, while looking at him. He always treated her well and she ended up hiding the truth. 'But what can I say? Oh, my famous fiancée got mad at me, because I attended your courses and in the end he hit me? For Kami's sake! I don't even believe myself. When did my life start to look like some sick soap opera?'

Uneki didn't trust her this time, because he heard Sho's voice. He sounded as someone out of his mind and Azuma-san was sure that he was the one to hurt her. 'I can't be too pushy.' He sighed. "If that's the case, it's OK. Please, be more careful in the future. Actor's body is priceless." Kyoko blushed a little. She stopped dreaming about becoming an actress some time ago, yet even the thought of it made her excited. 'I should quit these lessons. My heart may not stand this decision though.'

They drove quite fast, so they arrived in front of Kanae's house quickly. Way too quickly for Uneki's taste. He finally had a chance to get closer to her and he wasted it! 'Ugh… I hate myself right now.' But then an idea came to his mind. 'Maybe she won't run away?', "Goodnight Uneki-san! I'm really grateful for everything that you did for me.", "It was my pleasure Mogami-san." And before she was able to get off the car, he kissed her on the cheek. "Good night." He showed her his best cheshire cat smile and waved goodbye. Then he drove away, leaving her more dumbfounded than ever.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Today I'm more tired than usual, so beware of typos ;p. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	35. A pretty boy with a nasty trait

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 35

A pretty boy with a nasty trait

Telling that Kanae's family was huge was pretty much a euphemism. A traditional Japanese household fitting parents and three children was considered as a big one. Whereas in Moko-san's home lived twenty-one people. Kyoko wasn't used to it. Yes, there were a lot of guests in ryokan in Kyoto, but she never felt like having a house full of people. It felt weird, yet very lively and warmly. 'I wish I had a family like this.' thought Kyoko. On the other hand, Kanae seemed to be angry at all of them, if not embarrassed of. "Do you know that I can memorise every text after first reading?" asked Kotonami-san as soon as she closed the door of her room. Kyoko nodded, impressed by her friend's ability. "Sometimes I think it's their fault. It is always loud in here, so when it's quiet for a second, you have to do your best and learn everything that you need." Kanae smiled a little, so Kyoko was sure that she loved her family despite everything.

"Do you have a large family as well?" Mogami-san used all of her acting skills to look natural, when she said: "No. I'm an only child.", "Stop it! You're creeping me out!", "What do you mean?", "Ugh, look at the mirror. You can't be lying to me, right?" Kyoko sighed. "No, I do have a small family. It's just… I didn't see any of it's members lately." Kanae got suspicious. 'She's living with her… fiancé and she cut contacts with her family…', "Could it be that you run away from your house?" Kyoko blushed. "It sounds bad this way. But… you can say so." Kanae wanted to interview her and get to know more details about her life, but the hurt expression on her friend's face stopped her. 'Talking about hurt…', "Where did you get that scratch?", "I stumbled, that's all.", "You should take care of your body, since you are to be an actress." Kyoko smiled hearing almost the same thing from her second friend. 'Despite everything that had happened today, I should be grateful for my life and people around me.'

They got ready to sleep. Kanae decided not to ask Kyoko, why she needed a sleepover that day. She behaved strangely and tried to avoid all of her sore points. In the end, she had nothing to talk about. When she closed her eyes, she knew that night was to be long and tiring. How could she ignore the previous events? Her quarrel with Sho, a kiss from Uneki and now staying in her friend's house for the night. Kyoko sighed quietly and determined to think about the last one, since it was quite a pleasurable topic. Although they didn't eat any ice cream or watch TV and chat about boys, she enjoyed her time. 'Who would have thought that I would have a nice evening after an argument with Sho?'

The next day she went to the school with Kanae. She was nice enough to lend Kyoko some of her clothes (though they were too big). Mogami-san hurried to Uneki and thanked him once again. He was relieved that she was in a good mood and everything seemed to be pretty normal. And then it happened.

Kyoko realised that each time there was a commotion in that building, something bad was to happen. In order to avoid it, she headed to the bathroom. But how long can you stay there without looking suspicious? She sighed and walked away, trying to activate her new ninja skills. It worked well, since every single person was looking at one man, walking to the building. Just one more step and she would run from the danger. But suddenly all the glances were directed at her. Thanks to the gaze of that man. Kyoko felt as if she was shrinking. She desperately wanted to get out of the corridor, but her body froze. So she waited for the unavoidable.

Sho was walking towards her with the biggest bouquet of roses that ever existed. It reminded her of her secondary school. Even a once glance from him could make her life a living hell. Now she was used to the bullying, but she didn't want to experience it once more, especially from the girls, that she got to like. 'I hope that the adults are more understanding.' She shook her head and looked at the man in front of her. "Can we go somewhere private?" he asked loudly enough to dissuade some of the girls from approaching him. He was there to see Kyoko, not anyone else.

She walked to an empty room with him. "What are you doing? Do you know how much effort I put so as to keep our relationship a secret?! And these flowers! Did you buy the whole flower shop?!" Sho stepped back, surprised by her outburst. He was sure that she would forgive him the moment she sees him and the sacrifice of his image. 'It didn't work?', "Calm down, Kyoko. I came here to say sorry." She was far from calming down, but she let him talk. "Yesterday I was out of my mind. I picked up your phone and heard some other guy's voice. I thought that you had an affair with him and I couldn't stand it." he looked at her sincerely. "I'm so sorry."

She did not know what to do any more. He was standing there with a horrendous amount of roses, pity in his eyes and he risked his career to apologise. Moreover he had just admitted that he was jealous. 'Jealous… of me?' Kyoko could not understand it. 'Can it be that he really loves me?' Truth be told, it was more like possessiveness than love, but how she could know about it?

"I bet it's difficult to trust me again, but please come back home." She was touched. "Yes." was the only thing that she was able to say, as tears welled up in her eyes. Kyoko moved closer and hugged him. She was not aware of the fact that someone else saw their reunion. And that particular person was not pleased with the turn of the events.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I laughed so hard, when I saw the story stats. It turns out that you have to put name "Ren" at least twice in one chapter to get twice the usual amount of views. How can it even work? Haha, dunno xp. Anyway, I'm glad to see you here again! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	36. A funny boy with an ugly face

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 36

A funny boy with an ugly face

Lory was playing his new, favourite otome game and had to make an important choice. 'Which boy do I want do date?' It was a question that would sound weird, if being spoken loudly. Once again, he was grateful that nobody could read his mind, which was quite in a mess right now. He didn't expect Ren to behave the way he did yesterday. 'His expression changed a lot, when he heard her name. It makes my wonder, why did he want her information in the first place.' Lory sighed, deciding to continue the game. He really liked that funny, red-haired boy, yet he thought that his route may be a difficult one. His otome senses told him to chose the other guy, so he picked him happily.

He spent another hours playing, when one of the things his protagonist said reminded him of the previous day. 'It really bothers me. Does Ren know that girl? They seem to have nothing in common.' Lory whirled about in his swivel chair. 'Good thing that I hid most of the information about her. She has a complex character and I believe that I uncovered only a small part of her past.' It gave him some goosebumps. 'And what's going on with Akatoki Agency? The more I think about it, the more I want her to join LME.' He looked at his custom designed western-like calendar (though they made it for a one month only, knowing that he would get bored of this theme sooner or later). 'I shouldn't make any significant move right now. Maybe the best way to deal with this situation is to wait for some special events to occur?' And so he concentrated on his game.

Kyoko wasn't sure about her feelings, but when she looked at Sho, she knew that she made the right choice. He seemed to regret everything that he did and she couldn't find a reason to ignore that fact. Sho even brought her these flowers and some medicine for her cheek. She didn't know that side of him, but she found that cute. 'I should be really angry. Why am I so calm?' The only answer she could think of was that somewhere deep inside her heart she dreamt about him acknowledging her feelings and caring about her. Now that he risked his popularity to apologise to her, she felt like being in some kind of fairy tale.

Then she thanked Sho for his concern and told him not to neglect his work. He agreed and soon left the school. But the ghost of his presence stayed with them. The moment he closed the entrance door, almost every single girl in the building approached Kyoko. "Mogami-san! How do you know Fuwa Sho!?", "Is he your friend?", "Or … a lover?" the whole crowd shouted. "No way~!", "He's way too famous to date someone common like us!" In the first moment Kyoko was scared that they would make her tell all of her secrets, but soon she found out that these girls didn't want any information. They just wanted to be sure that she wasn't a danger. So they answered they own questions, glad that Kyoko didn't disagree with any of their statements. Soon they became so excited that no one else could understand what they were talking about. Thinking that it may be a perfect moment to quit this galimatias, Kyoko quickly run away.

That day Uneki regretted learning his ninja skills. He planned to start his 'seduce mission', but in the end he chickened out. Feeling defeated by his own weakness, he walked to some empty room, sat down on the floor and ate his lunch. He didn't want to see anyone, so when he heard the door being opened, he was annoyed. Uneki made a fast decision and hid in the corner of the room. He didn't expect to see Mogami-san, especially with that famous musician Fuwa Sho. Somehow Uneki started to hate him the moment he glanced at him. The fact that he held these freaking roses, made him affirm his bad gut feeling.

The boy stayed rather tranquil, while eavesdropping the conversation between those two. 'God, I'm turning into Naoko-chan for sure!' But then he heard the words that made his world crush. "Please come back home." Please. Come. Back. Home. Each of the following seemed to be poisonous. 'Did she live with him?' He could not believe it. That whole situation looked like some cheap drama and he didn't want to be a part of it. 'I should just stand up and show them that I'm here.' But he didn't do it. His body seized up. Having no other choice, he stayed still and waited for this horrible nightmare to end.

Uneki was lost in thoughts, so he didn't even notice that they left the room and that someone else came in their place. "Your skills are pretty amazing, but you must try harder to impress your older brother." started Kouki, trying to hide his worries. "Hey? Are you still living? You don't seem to." He softly kicked Uneki, who didn't respond. "Nope. Just hanging out with some corpse. Nice..." Kouki sat down next to him and stayed in that weird silence for at least ten minutes.

"Can't you just leave me alone? I don't feel like being teased.", "I'm not here to do so. Though you should change your attitude, since you look like you want to be teased." he laughed a little. "Having a little heartbreak?" Kouki continued. "I asked you to stop it.", "I'm not gonna do this, unless you tell me what lies heavy on you." Uneki sighed. "OK. I heard it. She has somebody else. And that person is such an asshole that I can't even look at his face.", "So are you giving up?", "Do I have any other choice?" asked Uneki. "Yup. Just win her heart and live happily ever after. If he is a real douchebag, isn't it better to release her from his influence?", "Are you serious?", "Probably for the first time in my life. I'm the one giving up. So don't worry about anything and catch her!" Uneki hesitated for a moment, but then he made up his mind.

And so both brothers shook their hands in their quiet agreement.

 **AN/ Hello once again! It's so nice to see you here. Can you believe that I'm writing this story since four weeks? My life changed a lot. I have less free time, but I'm enjoying it more and more every single day :). If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be able to do it, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	37. Been cast away

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 37

Been cast away

Everything has changed. Kyoko could feel a shiver running down her spine, each time someone looked at her. Which basically meant that she trembled the whole day. The angry glances were endurable, but she couldn't stand people avoiding her. Ever since Sho came, Kyoko was unable to spot Azuma brothers anywhere. She didn't have any lessons with them that day, so she guessed that they must have been busy. 'They can't be angry at me, right? I'm aware of the fact that Sho's appearance interrupted the usual day scheme, but he came back to his work in a matter of ten minutes.' However Kyoko felt guilty. There must have been a reason, why they were avoiding her. It brought back some bad memories.

Lory promised to himself that he would not interfere, but still he was interested in that girl's past. He didn't know a lot about it, which made him frustrated. Usually everything that he needed was given to him on a silver platter. Now most of his spies (he would never admit having ones though) gave up their investigation. 'It must be Akatoki Agency's fault. I wonder if they were just discouraged or bribed.' No matter the reason, he managed to get one photo of her. It gave him a food for thought.

The lessons were horrible. The teachers gave their best to make them act properly, but almost everyone was distracted. It was not an everyday event to see someone as popular as Fuwa Sho. Not to mention that they were able to meet Tsuruga Ren lately as well. 'Yup! It was definitely worth attending this course!' thought one of the girls. And most of the other group members. Kyoko quickly became in the centre of attention, unluckily – it was the bad kind of attention. She tried to ignore all of the whispers, but she had already heard at least seven new gossips about her, none of them was true. Mogami-san sighed. 'I should be used to it. Good thing that they don't harass me physically. Yet.'

Uneki ignored her on purpose, indeed. Even with his brother's encouragement, he didn't feel confident enough to start to fight for her heart. Moreover he didn't want to be compared to Fuwa Sho. It was probably better to let his presence vanish slowly. 'Now that I think about it, it may not work, if she's living with him. But last night she stayed in Kotonami-san's house. Does it mean that they broke up?' He let his hopes rise, but then he remembered the conversation that he heard by an accident. 'Right… they made up…' Feeling more and more depressed, he decided to give himself a day-long vacation.

The last lesson had finally ended and Kyoko dreamt of coming back home. 'Maybe I should cook something special? Sho may really appreciate it!' She was making a shopping list in her mind, when she heard some steps behind her. Kyoko closed her eyes, hoping that it's just her imagination and the moment she opens them, there would be no one around. But she could sense their presence. Memories flashed in her mind. Girls putting pins in her shoes, bedaubing her desk or leaving a white flower on it. Kyoko clenched her fist to bring herself back to the reality. 'It must be something else. Maybe they just want to ask for his autograph?' But they didn't. 'I will start running in three, two, one…'

Lory smoked his favourite cigarettes, holding the photo delicately. It was one of those classroom photo's that always make an impression that everyone is ugly, except the popular kids. He didn't like the way Kyoko posed. However the fault was not in her facial expression or body posture. It was her placement. She was standing in the end of the row, smiling as if everything was OK. But it wasn't. The girl next to her tried to be as far away as possible form Kyoko. Moreover each girl was hugging at least one friend. She was the only one to stand still. 'But her posture is full of grace. As if she was not from the same era as the rest of the class. Dear Kami… kids these days are so obdurate!' There was a story behind that photography and Lory was willing to get to know it.

They were fast. If they weren't in this acting school, Kyoko would guess that they were some kind of athletes. Luckily for her, she was faster. Maybe it was the result of her biking skills? She wasn't sure. Nonetheless Kyoko felt the adrenaline in her veins, making her feel invincible. And then she stumbled. She desperately tried to stand up, but her leg hurt like hell. Kyoko realised that her ankle must have been sprained. 'Why now?' she thought frightened. There was not a possibility that those girls had some friendly intentions. She was to have a hard time.

He didn't plan to appear in that school out of the blue. However when he heard that he had a free hour that day, he found himself searching for the address. Trying to come up with some kind of explanation of his actions, he asked his manager to take him there. 'I want to meet someone I know.' he said in order to stop the possible questions. It didn't work the way he planned, but it was good enough to convince himself that there was a reason of his strange behaviour. He had never been a superstitious person, but he felt as if there was some kind of force pushing him towards that place. As if there was a cause of his decision. Having some sinking feeling, Ren came into the acting school building hesitantly.

 **AN/ OMG. I just noticed that "Kouki" is also the name of Lory's son. Fail! I hope you have a nice day and see you soon~!**


	38. Make it hurt

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 38

Make it hurt

She saw the shadows on the wall, but still refused to turn around and look at her bullies. Maybe it was some kind of misunderstanding? But why would they follow her, when they saw how petrified she was. However Kyoko put a brave face on things. If they want to harass her, she would not give them any satisfaction from it. She faced the girls and tried to hide her panic. There were at least six woman in front of her, each with hatred in their eyes. 'What did I do to them?'

Whatever the reason, they were angry. Something in their facial expression made her tremble. Sho's fangirls in the middle school had some limits. They only wanted to scare her - not to hurt physically. This time things looked different. Three of the bullies stand close to her so that she could not run away. 'They don't have to do this. My leg won't allow me to do it anyway.'

"Well, well, well… it looks like you're trapped here." started the girl in the middle. "I must admit that it was nice to run after you. Actress can not exercise too much, can't she?" She giggled and most of her friends did the same. "I don't understand why you attended those lessons though." added the other one. "You slept with enough famous boys to get any dream role that you desire. Oh, well… I guess you weren't good enough." She laughed loudly with the group.

Kyoko tried to convince her body to move, but it only hurt her more. She imagined a drill making a hole in her bone. She bit her lip not to shout or cry. 'I won't give them any satisfaction.', "Why do you want to leave us so early?" said the first one. "Do you hate talking with commoners like us?" She came closer to Kyoko. "You little sl*t!" she spat and then pulled her hair. "Oh my dear! Your hair is such a mess! And those split ends! We should do something about it!" One of the women approached her with scissors. Kyoko knew what was to happen so she stopped flouncing and closed her eyes.

They did their best to terror her. She could feel her head getting lighter as they were cutting her hair. She heard a lot of offensive accusations, each one more hurting than the previous ones. No one has ever treated her like that and there was no one to help her. But she was a brave person. Kyoko decided to stay strong and there was nothing that could get her down. When they ended her new "hairstyle", they took some pictures with her. Kyoko looked straight at the camera with no fear in her eyes. It annoyed them extremely.

And then it happened. One of the bullies run towards Kyoko and kicked her sprained ankle. She shouted loudly as tears came streaming down her face. The other ones smiled widely, looking at her agony. It was not a quotidian sight. Someone you hate having a hard time. They could sense their hidden frustrations being released. They saw Kyoko as an example of all the things that they detested in other successful people. No wonder that they hatred was so strong. Kyoko could do nothing about it.

Ren walked into the empty building, feeling ashamed of his actions. 'What will I do if someone sees me here? I don't even know anyone well enough to act as if I wanted to meet that person.' He sighed deeply. He was to leave, when he heard a shouting from the outside. He could not ignore it. He run, leaving Yashiro behind. Soon enough he saw the source of that horrific sound. There was a group of girls staying in front of the other girl. He could not recognise her, but he instantly knew what to do about it.

Kyoko raised her head and saw him. The other girls haven't noticed him yet, so it was her potential advantage. But then she realised something. Tsuruga Ren was famous. If he helped her then she would be bullied forever. She felt like her relationship with Sho was the reason of their anger. Kyoko could not imagine how mad they would get I he did something for her. Using all of her acting skills, she looked into his eyes and gave him a message: "Don't interfere!" Ren understood, but disagreed. 'What is she doing?' Kyoko glanced at him once more and whispered: "Trust me." Then she looked at one of her bullies, trying to get her full attention. It worked.

"What?!" she shouted. "You've had enough? No?" she smiled in a fake way. "Maybe we should show you where your place is?" And she kicked her in the stomach. Kyoko embraced herself and looked quickly at Ren. She still didn't want him to help her. His eyes widened. 'What is she planning? I can't stay here, doing nothing at all!' But something in her face made him stop himself. He wanted to trust her. He clenched his teeth and let her deal with that situation. Kyoko closed her eyes for a moment and then she got up. Her legs were shaking, since she stood only on one of them, trying to keep her balance. Once again, the adrenaline helped her.

The group was surprised. They didn't want her to run, but it wasn't her plan. Kyoko gave them a chance to hurt her more. They used that. They hit her in various places and then Kyoko fell down and fainted. "She… can't be… you know?" asked one of the women. "No, she can't..." added the other one. "But what if…?", "Oh sh*t! Let's get out of there before someone sees us!" And so they did. They didn't know that Ren had already made a photo of them. He run towards Kyoko, scared if something had happened. He stopped when he was close to her and then he chuckled. "You should really consider being a professional actress, you know? You convinced me once more." And before she was able to say something he lifted her and held like a princess.

 **AN/ Disappointed? Me as well. I wanted Ren to help her so badly, but I realised it would only make things worse. But in the end he got his chance to impress her ;p. I hope you have a good day and see you soon~!**


	39. All the cuts and the bruises

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 39

All the cuts and the bruises

"We can't do anything by staying here." said Ren as he saw Yashiro in the distance. 'What's going on now?' thought Kyoko. The manager was out of breath with a red face covered in sweat. "There you… are… Ren..." he gasped out. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind. Things got dangerous." explained Ren and Yashiro finally saw the girl's state. "What happened?! Ren did you call the police?" the young actor shook his head. "They got away.", 'Because someone didn't want me to interfere.' he really wanted to add. Instead he sighed. "We can't do anything about it. We should just let them go.", 'For today.', "Yashiro-san, how much time do we have left?" he looked at his watch. "Depends on the traffic. If we get lucky, maybe around forty minutes.", "So we will get lucky."

Ren ended their conversation and walked back to their car with Kyoko still in his arms. She tried to get away, only giving herself more pain. "Bear with this for a while." the actor tried to calm her down. 'Wait a minute!', "Where are we going?" asked Kyoko. "To the hospital of course." She wanted to protest. "I'm fine, put me down!" she shouted. Yashiro looked at the pair in front of him with some mixed feelings. 'She's such a weird girl! Any other woman in her place would enjoy Ren carrying her like a princess or even she would try some fake fainting or something to keep him closer. There is something wrong between them.'

At the same time Ren was considering her request. He would like to tease her a little more. He could imagine himself putting her down with a gentle smile and the words: "I will drop you off here...". Then he would leave her alone for a moment to hear her asking him for help. He smirked, but decided to ignore her idea. Ren didn't have enough time to fool around. Moreover her state wasn't the best. He still could not believe that he didn't interfere then. How much did he trust her? Ren didn't want to admit it, but seeing her like that reminded him of his past. 'Great. First that fairy episode and now my rebellious adolescence. What kind of bathos I will experience next?' Trying to hide his emotions, he asked Kyoko some questions about her health.

When they finally got into the car, Kyoko's tension relieved. So did the adrenaline. Her body started to hurt miserably and she had to use all of her willpower to hide it. She looked at Ren as if she wanted to ask him something, but in the end she gave up. Curious as she was, she tried to figure out what Ren was doing there. Then she remembered something.

"I am so so sorry!" she shouted out of the blue, making both of the men scared all of sudden. Kyoko wanted to perform a perfect dogenza bow, but somehow it turned out to be impossible. With a sprained ankle. Inside of a car. Yashiro could do nothing, but chuckle, while looking at her attempts to apologise. Ren didn't share his happiness. "Please, stop it nor or else you're going to hurt yourself even more!" he said angrily, making all of them quiet for a moment.

"Why are you even apologising?" Ren broke the silence. "First of all..." she started. 'Oh my Kami! She's got multiple reasons!' the tall man thought. "…I'm so sorry for taking your time! You came to that school to do something important I guess, but you ended up taking some stranger to the hospital. You don't have to do this!" Once more Ren wanted to leave her alone just to see her reaction, but he nipped his idea in the bud. "Secondly… I'm so sorry for that incident form Monday!" she shouted quickly. "What kind of incident is she talking about Ren?" Yashiro got excited. It sounded as some potential romance between those two and he really cheered for Tsuruga-san to finally open his heart to someone! But his hopes were crushed soon. The younger man glared at him deadly, making him want to run away.

'Monday, Monday… Oh, she means..?', "I thought that your friend explained to you that it was only a part of your act…" he started, reminding himself that competition. "Or was is for real?" he smiled seductively to make her reject his statement. And so she did. "NO! I mean... no! It was all an act! I just thought that it would make that scene more interesting and since the director..." She explained, but the more she said the more incomprehensible her words became. Ren smiled a little, making Yashiro suspicious. 'Yes, there is definitely something weird between them.' he thought.

Ren's guess was correct, since there was no traffic congestion on their way to the hospital. The famous actor tried to hide his identity by wearing some sunglasses and a baseball cap. However it was impossible to cover his attractiveness and soon enough all of the eyes were focused on them. Ren tried to get an advantage of it and smiled to one of the ladies in the reception to make sure that Kyoko would get some treatment quickly. It worked perfectly. Soon enough the girl was filling her forms happily thanks to the turn of the events. It made Ren interested slightly. 'She must be in pain, yet she disagrees to show any weakness of hers. What kind of live does she live?' That question was not answered, since he had to go back to his work and his normal life.

Ren felt bad about leaving her there alone, but she convinced him to do so. She bowed, while sitting and smiled brightly, which made his heart beat unevenly. 'It must be the adrenaline's fault.' he decided. They were to leave, when he remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot! Last Monday I had a lot of trouble, but some friendly chicken helped me. I heard that he's in your acting group, so can you say _thanks_ on behalf of myself?" Kyoko smiled widely. "Of course!"

 **AN/ I was 100% sure that you will hate me after the previous chapter, so you can imagine my reaction each time I got a review. I was so ready to get shouted at, yet all you did was to encourage me to write more. Not to mention that crazy amount of views… . I love you all! Thank you for following my story, have a good day and I hope to see you soon~!**


	40. Be a little lighter

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: Believe me or not, but I still do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 40

Be a little lighter

Kyoko thought about calling Sho, but the decision was made without her control. She needed the money to pay for the hospital care. She sighed deeply as she took her phone. Luckily Sho gave her mobile phone back earlier that day. A little hesitant as she was, she dialled his number.

…

He didn't pick up. She looked at her phone, trying to figure out what had happened wrong. She had a difficulty in believing that he would ignore her call. 'Maybe he's working?' But lately he started to turn off his phone during his working hours. And the phone was still on, since she could hear a signal. 'Is he ignoring me?'

Kyoko sat down in the waiting room, wasting her time as she looked at the phone to notice it, if someone was calling her. But no one did so. She was getting more and more nervous. She had to pay and hated the idea of borrowing any money from anyone. When her patience hit its highest level, she phoned the only person that could help her. 'I hope Shoko-san will forgive me overusing her phone number one day.'

Actually Sho's manager didn't mind it at all. Hearing that Kyoko called from the hospital made her scared, but soon she was told that it was nothing serious. And it wasn't indeed. Her ankle was sprained – that was the worst part though. The other hits made just some bruises and cuts so Kyoko should recover quickly. The problem was the official statement about her wounds. Did someone attack her? Did she call the police? Kyoko didn't feel like lying, but at the same time she felt incredibly tired and just promised to take care of it after she rests a little.

Sho came there quite fast. He was terrified to see her state. It was not her leg or her bruises that made him react that way though. Sho's eyes tried to focus on Kyoko's face, but from time to time he looked at her hair. When he saw her earlier that day, she had nice and long hair. Now it was in a huge mess. The girls didn't cut a lot of it, but some strands of her hair were awfully short. He decided to intervene. Before he even asked what had happened, he took her to the hairstylist. She worked in Akatoki Agency and was a true professional. The situation seemed to be unrepairable, but she managed to make her hair look nicer than previously.

Kyoko left the building with shoulder-length hair and a big smile on her face. It was probably the second time in her life she thought about herself as a beauty (the first time was during Sho's PV shooting). Sho liked her hairstyle as well. They held their hands, somehow happy about the turn of the events.

However Ren wasn't happy about it. When he fulfilled his duties, he called Lory and asked him for a quick meeting. Needless to say, Lory got excited. It was a second time in a row that Ren wanted his help. He felt that it was somehow connected to Mogami Kyoko and he was thirsty for knowledge about her current situation. But in the end he changed his mind. At the first moment he didn't believe what Ren was telling him. What kind of sick joke could this be? But the more he got to know, the worse he felt. 'God. I should have get her into my agency and give her full LME's protection. That was really unexpected.'

When Ren ended his report, he asked him for a favour. "I think it's a suspicious situation. I don't know the details, because she didn't want to tell me anything, but it doesn't seem to be a spontaneous action. They had a pair of scissors with them. Who the hell takes the scissors for the acting courses?!" Ren shouted. "I think the same, so please calm down." Lory looked out of the window and sighed. "I will make an investigation, since it smells fishy. I will do it in a **circumspect** way of course. Thank you for informing me about it." Lory said, giving Ren a goosebumps. 'He sound as if she was a part of the LME… or his family.' He felt pity for the person responsible of that incident.

The next day Kyoko didn't want to attend her lessons at all. Just a thought about explaining her state made her nauseating. However Sho insisted on going there himself to deal with the bullies. Of two evils, Kyoko decided to go there alone and survive somehow. Her fiancé's intervention would only make things worse. If that was even possible. The only thing that Kyoko didn't expect was the limo in front of her school. Before she got into the building, someone came out of it and approached her. 'Tsuruga Ren himself… What is happening?!'

He greeted her politely and followed her to the school. She wasn't capable of asking him the reason of his appearance. She felt like she had already knew the answer. And Kyoko guessed right. The moment they stepped in, Ren told one of the students to call for Azuma-san. Poor student, not knowing what to do, called both Azuma brothers. The young actor quickly informed them about the yesterday's incident and showed them the photo. They could recognise all the girls, so they asked them to come closer. They stepped out of the crowd and pleaded guilty. "Is there anyone else that took part in that event?" asked Kouki.

Then Naoko stood in the centre of the room. "I wasn't the reason myself, but I must admit that I spread rumours about everyone and maybe Mogami-san was attacked thanks to one of them." she outspoke. Uneki sighed as he said: "I'm so sorry, but for the time being you're suspended from your job."

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Today I want to share you some story. I bought a chocolate bar from a vending machine in my school, but somehow it got stuck. I tried to release it, but it didn't work. I was in the middle of a discussion about what to do, when one boy said: "Excuse me!". And so he shook the vending machine violently, releasing my dream bar. I was getting ready to thank him and share it with him. But then he took it and … run away as fast as possible. The end. I'm still dumbfounded. Anyway… I hope you have a nice day and see you soon~!**


	41. Make a mess for sure

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 41

Make a mess for sure

Yashiro was surprised, when he heard Ren asking for a free day that morning. He looked suspiciously at the young actor. "You don't do this because of that girl, right?" Ren shook his head. "No, that's not it. I just didn't have enough time to write my speech and today's the deadline, so...", "I'm not judging you or anything. Actually, I'm content that you remembered about that duty. I will postpone everything that I can." his manager smiled as he took his mobile phone to start his work immediately. The moment he left the room, Ren sighed. 'That was close. He can read me well.' It was not like he wanted to meet Kyoko… it was only one of the two reasons. Some difficulties occurred when he tried to prepare his speech for the first time. No matter how hard he tried, it sounded all wrong. Ren didn't want to make an impression that he was some kind of martyr or that he was angry about the decision. The words just didn't seem right.

When his manager told him that he cleared his schedule, Ren did not wait any second longer and got to the acting school. He knew that the limo would make some sort of commotion and that was the effect that he had expected. The more people see this confrontation, the better. While thinking about possible turn of the events, he realised that his plan may have one strong disadvantage – what would happen if Kyoko didn't show up? Feeling a little nervous he looked at the students getting ready for their lessons. Ren breathed a sigh of relief, when he saw her coming. She kept her head down and she seemed to be smaller. 'Could it be that she's hiding her wounds?'

He quickly got of the car and approached her. "Good morning Mogami-san." he greeted her politely. "Good morning Tsuruga-san." she answered, wondering how he knew her surname, since she had never introduced herself properly. Then she remembered. 'Right! He was with me, when I was filling the forms! He must have seen it then!' Slightly relieved, she came to her school with the most desirable man in Japan.

"Hi! Can I ask you a favour? Could you ask Azuma-san to come here?" Ren asked the first person that he saw inside the building. Soon enough the corridor was filled with students and the teachers. His plan was working. 'OK, so let's start the show.' he thought and started: "I'm sorry to inform you, since I have a nice memories of the previous cooperation with your school, but some incident happened yesterday and I feel like taking care of it." Kyoko looked at him as if she wanted to stop him. Ren hesitated for a second, but then he shook his head. 'Not this time.' he thought.

"I think that you should see it." And so he showed his mobile phone to Uneki. His face paled as he saw Kyoko lying on the floor with some girls approaching her with evil smiles. He quickly compared the Kyoko in front of him with the one on the photo. It was not fake. The girl tried to back off and hide herself, but it was too late. All the eyes were focused on her. She didn't have to say anything. Her wounds told the whole story.

Soon all the bullied stood in the centre of the room, admitting their fault. Uneki could not believe what was happening in front of him, so the rest of the group couldn't. His brother decided to take up the reigns and asked: "Is there anyone else that took part in that event?" He didn't expect Naoko to stand next to the bullies. Her words shocked everyone, but not as much as Uneki's decision. "You can't do that!" shouted Kyoko. "Saito-san was not involved in it! She's just carrying the can!", "Mogami-san, please calm down. Every teacher in our school is a professional and we cannot let Naoko give you her lessons, when there is a suspicion that she took part in that incident. If the accusation turns out to be false, she will continue her duties. But for now we have no other choice." Uneki tried to explain it. "It's OK, Mogami-san." smiled Naoko. "Thank you for your intervention, but I was aware of the risk involved, so don't worry." Her smile widened. "I fully agree with your decision. I hope we will get to know more details about it soon." She bowed and left the building, leaving a deadly silence.

"Well." started Kouki. "About you girls..." he looked at the bullies. "You are expelled, of course. But before you leave, please apologise properly." and so they did. Kyoko didn't feel any better about it, but she forgave them. They decided not to call the police, but the girls had to give back all the money that Kyoko had to pay in the hospital. It seemed to be a fair resolution. Ren said his goodbyes and headed to his apartment. He felt like writing some speech. But before that he wanted to call the boss of his agency to find out if he had found something. And sure he had.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! First of all: Thank you for your concern about that chocolate bar xp. I didn't expect any nice words, yet you cheered me up somehow. Answering one of the questions: no, I don't know that boy. I heard that he's one year younger and is known for his weird actions. I guess the rumours won't stop now. Truth be told, now I'm just laughing whenever I think about it, so I'm not mad at him. If by any chance he's reading it, don't worry 'bout me! I hope it tasted well ;3. Secondly: Thank you so much for all your support! Sometimes I feel like having a day off, but then I read your encouragement and I manage to write a chapter on time. The last but not least: I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**

 **PS Don't worry, the cover is only for the time being. I'm just trying to make my friend draw me a proper one xp**


	42. In a grown-up world

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 42

In a grown-up world

Ren sat down in the limo, told the driver the address and took his phone. He waited for a second, wondering, if he really wanted to know the truth. "Hello Ren-kun. It's nice to hear from you.", "Good morning President. I would love to share some trifles, but I guess you already know the true intention of my call." He could almost see the disappointment on his boss' face. "Impatient as always…", 'When it's about that girl.' he wanted to add. "You may be sorry to hear that, but I don't have any details yet, but for now it seems like it was some kind of accidental event. These girls were frustrated for well too long and they wanted to express those feelings." Ren knew that Lory was lying. 'He would never reach the conclusions so early.' he guessed correctly. 'But if he wants me to drop that topic, then I have better do so and let him solve this on his own.' The actor sighed, thanked his boss for his help and hung up.

Lory felt bad about lying, but that information should be dealt with carefully. Now it was not about the Kyoko, but the reputation of a whole entertainment agency. And it was a big one. He unzipped his down jacket, thinking that the Eskimos theme was a bad idea in the beginning of the July. 'Maybe I should change it into the Ancient Greek theme?' He wrote down his idea and looked at his phone. 'I really don't want to make this call. Is it really necessary? And why do I bother though? She's not even a part of LME.' But somewhere deep inside his heart he felt as if she was already a member of his agency, so he sighed and dialled one, particular number that he had hoped that he would never dial again.

The lessons were called off. Nobody complained about it, since the mood was horrible after Naoko's leaving. A lot of people were actually mad at Uneki for such a rush decision. He didn't mind as long as Kyoko wasn't a one of that people. And she really wasn't. The situation made her incredibly uncomfortable, but she decided not to show it. It could only make things worse. She thought deeply about the previous events, while walking back home. 'Things got weird. Why did Tsuruga-san come today? I know he had a proof, but he wouldn't have any benefit from helping me. And he must have had take a day off, since he's always so busy… .' Somehow it made her flattered. Kyoko shook her head, trying to forget that weird feeling.

Ren sat down on his couch, totally not ready to write his speech. He took a bottle of gin and made himself a drink. He didn't usually drink any alcohol (since he was working all the time and could not afford being drunk). Ren sighed deeply, hoping that it would clear his mind. I didn't work. He still had no idea what to tell the reporters. 'I'm sorry, I messed up?' was the only thing that he came up with. Feeling mentally worn up, he decided to take a short nap.

He had the same nightmare as the previous night. He was driving his car fast, way too fast. It made him feel so free that he wanted to drive even faster. And then he was drowning in the see of blood. It wasn't his blood. He woke up trembling. Ren needed a few more minutes to realise that he had already woken up. Heavy-hearted, he took a piece of paper and wrote his heart down. It was perfect.

Lory wore one of his best suits, happy that he could take off that down jacket. 'Yes, Ancient Greece starting tomorrow.' He had already ordered all of the decorations and costumes needed. He didn't feel right about what was about to happen soon, but the thought of tomorrow's show made him smile a little. But now it was not a time to fool around. He checked twice, if he looked perfect and then he stepped into the Akatoki Agency's building.

As he expected he was greeted extravagantly. 'It's only for effect.' Lory wasn't impressed as he was the king of the splendor. He headed straight to the president's office. Once again he was warmly welcomed, but he knew that it was as fake as the boss' hair. When he looked at his head, he almost felt pity for that man, but his agency deserved it. "Oh, Takarada-san! It's such a pleasure to see you today!", "Same here. I don't want to accuse you or something, but please, listen to me." And Lory described shortly the previous events. "And this concerns your agency, because…?" stopped him the other president rudely. "… because one of my talents was involved in that event. I don't want this story to become some kind of bad publicity for him.", "Yes, considering his last failure it is natural that you care about his reputation… ." Lory only smiled. "I knew that you would be informed quickly, but you know… my agency is well informed as well.", "What do you mean?" And without further ado Lory showed him the documents. He observed coldly as his opponent was becoming more and more pale.

"Funny thing… I can imagine the title: _Young starlet pays to beat up her rival: the shadow of shame covering Akatoki Agency._ We don't want this to happen." said Lory with a poker face. "You sound as if the article was already written." The president of the other agency squinted his eyes. LME's boss tried not to smirk. "It must be because it is already written indeed." he dropped his façade. "I've got all the necessary tools to destroy your company.", "So what do you propose?" Lory waited for that question. "Let's make a deal."

 **AN/ Hello everyone! How was your election night? I slept like a baby and woke up lately to see the results. Ugh… I didn't want to get all political out of the nowhere, but everyone's talking about it, so I felt like writing that… . Whatever~! I hope you have a good day and see you soon~!**


	43. Like a kid with a crown

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 43

Like a kid with a crown

The President of Akatoki Agency knew about Kyoko. He had to deal with her relationship with his top star and make sure that it won't leak. 'I wonder how much he knows about her.' Just the thought about Lory knowing his company's biggest secret made him uncomfortable. That's why he could not name the feeling he sensed, when he saw that report. The blood kept draining from his face and he was scared that he would faint in any second. That information was worse that the one about Sho's private life. This information could bury his whole company alive. He must have done something to prevent it. "So what do you propose?" he asked, trying to hide his fright. "Let's make a deal… ."

His secretary looked at him worried and steamed at the same time. "Did you really have no other choice?" she tried to fake a smile, but it ended up as a grimace. "No, there was no other way to solve this." he shook his head, trying to sort things out. They stayed in that awful silence, none of them wanted to add anything. "So… what are you going to do about her? I mean… She deserves some kind of punishment." finally coughed up his secretary. "I think that there is only a one way to make her regret that… ." He told her his plan and she smiled a little.

That idea made them feel a little better after the meeting with Lory. It was as clear as day – LME won this time. 'I'll make sure it's their last victory.' the President promised to himself. Later that day Lory celebrated that event by going to the theatre dressed as a Zeus. Some things will never change.

Sho was having a hard time. He needed to write another song soon, yet he had a writer's block. 'Ugh… that yesterday event still makes me mad.' He felt useless, since he could not do anything about it. He thought about Kyoko as if she was his property. And just like a small child he got annoyed that some other kid tried to broke his toy. Maybe not his favourite one, but still _his_.

Someone knocked the door forcefully. He could hear Shoko's voice shouting: "Not now! He's in the middle of creating his next hit. You can't just interrupt now! Especially not after...", "I don't care! I'm sure he's dying to see me now!" Whoever said that was mistaken. The singer really didn't feel like wasting his time with some kind of sick fangirl, especially that day. But then the door was loudly opened.

"Sho-chan! Do not believe any single word they say! It's just a lie, made to distance us!" Mimori run towards him to give him a strong hug. 'God, it's Pochi… um… what was her name again?' He could not let anyone know that he had already forgotten it. Sho showed her away and mumbled: "What are you talking about? And what is more what you are doing here?" he looked angrily at his manager, but she only shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, so… they didn't tell you… . Never mind then! Aren't you happy to see me?" before he was able to deny it, Shoko interrupted. "I was about to tell him, so thank you for reminding me. I don't know the details, but…" Mimori gave her a deadly glare. Sho's manager tried not to shiver. "She is not supposed to see you until further notice.", "She's lying, lying, she's a liar!" the girl tried to drown the woman out. But as a musician Sho had a great hearing and he understood everything.

"If that's the case then I think that you should really leave." he said, content that he had a chance to get rid of her. "But please, let me explain it to you properly!" Sho sighed. "I'm all ears." Mimori looked at his manager, as if she wanted to make her vanish just by looking at her. Somehow it didn't work. "But only in private!" she shouted. 'Ugh… so annoying.', "Sho, I don't think it's a good idea..." started Shoko, but then he shook his head, making her cut the sentence. "OK, I will be outside if I was needed." she said and left the room.

Sho sat down on his couch, not inviting Mimori to join him. "So… what's going on?" She had tears in her eyes. "I… I don't know Sho-chan! They accuse me of something I didn't do!" He felt uncomfortable with her crying. It reminded him of his childhood with Kyoko. 'Gosh… I really don't want to be part of it, whatever it is.' Nevertheless he asked: "What is their accusation?" She stopped sobbing. "It does not matter, because it's a lie after all!" Mimori got closer to him. "Sho-chan, why are you so cold towards me? Ever since we made that PV you were ignoring me. Is it that girl's fault?", "No!" he denied quickly. "So, it's truly her… I didn't even have to mention her name, you knew right away..." She sat down next to him. "Is she better than me? Prettier? I can replace her, you know…?"

Sho seriously considered her proposition. He didn't like the idea of letting Kyoko go, but having two girls taking care of him, not knowing about the another "lover". It was somehow alluring. Sho realised that Kyoko was slowly changing. She started to say loud her true feelings, dreams and hopes. She was becoming more independent and he felt that if he didn't do anything to stop it, she would break free. And he hated the idea of releasing his old toy. And Mimori seemed to be in love in him… it would make it easier to turn her into his new toy… . But then he saw her tearful eyes and changed his mind.

"There's no chance. Now, it's time for you to leave.", "But Sho, I love...", "You're not the only one." he stopped her in mid-sentence and called for Shoko. Together they managed to get rid of her and Sho could finally breath a sigh of relief. 'Having two overreacting girlfriends would be a real pain in the neck.'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Thank you for all of your reviews! They always make me smile. I know that the ending of the previous chapter might be confusing, but that was a part of my plan… more or less :p. Yes, I am a girl (it was easy to guess, since I don't know many boys, who like Skip Beat! - luckily my bf is one of them :3 ). What was I talking about? Whatever~~. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	44. Dare not say

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 44

Dare not say

Kyoko noticed that Sho was acting strange. He avoided an eye contact, he was unusually quiet and somehow he seemed to avoid being close to her. 'Did something happen? Did I make him angry?' Her brain was quite a funny object. It needed only ten seconds to make her blame herself on his weird behaviour. Luckily Sho decided to break the silence between them as he asked: "How was your day? You came back earlier.", "The lessons were called off.", "Um… that's good, I suppose." The tension between them was getting more and more hard to bear. "And how is um.. your leg? He pointed it. The doctor told her to walk on crutches for the time being, but she didn't listen to his advice. She didn't want anyone to notice her state and she foolishly believed that she would be able to hide her sprained ankle. 'I was walking slower than usual. I hope no one noticed.' she thought, unaware that Ren was an observant person.

"Thanks for asking." Kyoko answered. "I should have listened to the doctor." she confessed. She was able to act as if she wasn't hurt, but only for a short amount of time. Truth be told, she stepped on that foot in a wrong way once and she had to use all of her willpower to keep a straight face. "I think it's gotten more swollen now." Sho sighed mentally, but than faked a smile. "Let me see it." He was to touch her leg, when she run away to the other corner of her room. 'How fast can she move?' he thought amazed. 'She can't be faking, can she?' Kyoko sure wasn't faking it, but she felt so ashamed just by the thought of him looking at her bare foot that she ignored the pain and run. "Why did you do it? You're only making it worse." Her face was slightly blushed and her eyes looked as if she was saying: _Stay away!_ He sighed loudly and got to the kitchen.

She felt better, when he wasn't in the room any more. 'Why did I react this way?' she asked herself, when she was stepping slowly towards the couch. 'It's not like he had never seen my foot, yet still… ' Kyoko couldn't find any satisfying answer, so she gave up. While sitting down, she changed the direction of her thoughts and started to wonder about her courses. Sho had told her earlier that he didn't want her to attend them any longer. Now that she was unable to move naturally it was a normal thing to quit. 'I'm not able to act with that leg… . Is my adventure with acting ending now?' Kyoko saddened. She didn't want things to become this way. What about her friends? Will they stop talking to her after her leaving? 'Yes, they will.' she was more than sure. 'Who would like to waste their time and energy on a plain girl like me?' Feeling more and more down, she lay on the couch and looked at the ceiling.

Sho saw her lying down, not moving. 'Could she fall asleep?' He would hate that since he put so much effort to help her. He came closer and saw her lost in thoughts. She didn't seem to enjoy it, so he decided to stop it. "Here. Take it." he gave her an ice pack. Kyoko looked at him confused and then smiled heavenly, making his heart race. 'With no reason.' he thought. 'I must be still mad after that incident with that little doggy.' The girl in front of him took gladly the cold compress. "Thanks." she could only whisper.

He sat down next to her and waited until he was ready to spill the beans. After ten minutes he realised that there was no such a thing like _the perfect moment_ , so he said: "Kyoko..." she winked, once more confused at the timbre of his voice. "I think we should call my parents." Kyoko wasn't sure how to feel about it. "Why though?" He smiled a little. "Our wedding..." he started, but she didn't hear the rest of the sentence. 'He wants to take back his proposal!' She wanted to stand up and run away in order not to listen to his excuses. 'I knew it from the very beginning. Once again: who would like to waste their time and energy on a plain girl like me?' Sho stopped her and pinned her down. "What are you doing? You really want your state to get worse!" he shouted, scaring her a little.

When he saw her expression, he regretted his temper. It reminded him their first date, when she was sure that he wanted to break up with her. 'Could it be the case?', "Kyoko. Did you even listen to me? I don't plan to let you go, so calm down." And so she did, finally hearing his words properly. "I wanted to call them to postpone the date of our wedding, since you sprained your ankle. I know that you've been dreaming about that day for a long time and you probably don't want to crawl to the altar." Kyoko could only nod at his statement, embarrassed of her overreacting.

But then the realisation knocked her out. "Um… Sho?", "Yes?", "Um… what day is today?" he looked at her, scared that she had hit her head. "How many fingers do you see?" Kyoko squinted her eyes in abashment. "Five. Why do you ask?" He shook his head. "I thought that you were numbering off the days before our wedding. Anyway… today is the fourth of July. Independence day in the USA." she smiled, happy that he had learnt something from school. Her eyes widened as she realised it. This time next month she will be living her life as a Fuwa Kyoko.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Today is the National Independence Day in Poland and I found it funny that the timeline in my story coincided with the real life one (in a weird way though). Moreover today the snow fell down for the first time this year! What is more (what an adventurous day!) some old friends of my father visited us and one of them suggested that I should post this fanfic in another website as well. I'm still considering this option, since it would be a great way to make sure that this story won't disappear. Anyway ~ I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	45. Like a clown in a collar

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 45

Like a clown in a collar

Her world was still going round. He didn't want to break up. What is more he cared about her and her dreams. But when did they change? When Kanae told her life goal, Kyoko confessed that she had always dreamt of being the perfect wife. Marrying her prince was the first step, yet she managed to forget about it, while acting. Did she really start to desire being actress? Kyoko was too scared to admit it to herself, so she concentrated on the boy in front of her.

Sho was her everything, he was the one to make her feel safe. There was Corn as well, but he disappeared and came back to the fairy's world. 'I wonder, if I will ever see him again?' She imagined Corn letting her visit his kingdom. Kyoko would be dressed up as a fairy to disguise herself, since people are not allowed to enter. She imagined herself with fake wings and pink dress. The girl closed her eyes and could almost see the fairy land. There was a white castle and Corn stood in front of it with his arms opened as if he wanted to hug her. His face was blurred, but she knew it was him. She could feel it.

She opened her eyes and blinked, surprised at the sight ahead of her. Sho was waving his hand to make sure she was still conscious. "Hey, everything's right?" he said. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't?" He sighed lengthy. "You drifted off and didn't react to my words for a moment. Are you sure you didn't hit your head or anything?" She shook her head, embarrassed of her behaviour. Kyoko almost felt as if she cheated on him. There he was standing in front of her, talking about their wedding and she thought about another boy. 'Man.' she realised and blushed even more.

Suspicious as Sho was, he decided that it would be the best idea to call his mother now. "How long will your leg be recovering?" he asked. "The doctor told me to visit him once more in two weeks time, but since it's quite a serious sprain it may be healing two or even three months." she explained. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. It must be troubling to postpone such a big event." Kyoko apologised. "It's not your fault, really. And since it will be held in my parents' ryokan, there should be no problem.", "But what about the guests?", "It's not the first nor the last time that some party was postponed due to health issues. Don't think too much about it." He comforted her, because he didn't want to continue that conversation. He was slowly getting stressed about calling his mother.

"Are you ready?" he whispered out of nowhere. "Yes." she answered simply. So he dialled the number. He hoped that she would not pick up, but unfortunately, she did so right away. "Hello Shotaro." her voice was strict and reminded him of the times that he was a child, receiving his rebukes. "Hi mom. I'm here with Kyoko.", "Good afternoon." she added cheerfully. 'She sounds happy. Did they relationship progress?' Sho's mother really hoped so. She made him propose to advance their relation. "It's nice to hear from both of you! You should call more often!", "Actually, we have some problem." She didn't like the sound of it.

"What happened?" Kyoko and Sho decided to lie about that incident, since they didn't report it to the police. "Kyoko had a small accident. She stumbled and sprained her ankle." he told a lie, because Kyoko didn't want to do it herself. Well, it was a truth after all. They just silenced the reason of her fall. "Oh, no! Are you OK Kyoko-chan?", "Yes, it's not that serious!" she answered quickly to change the subject. "But I'm afraid we must postpone the wedding day… if that's not a problem." Kyoko held her breath, waiting for her response. "It may be, but not a big one. We will change the date tomorrow, so don't worry."

Kyoko could breath freely. "Thank you so much!", "Don't mention. Shotaro, can you leave us alone for a moment?", "Yes, mom." And so he did. "I just wanted to ask if Sho was behaving properly." Kyoko blushed, glad that she could not see it. "Yes, he is. He takes care of me." She smiled thinking about the ice pack. "It's good to hear it. I want to talk to Sho alone as well, so do you have anything you want to tell me?", "Yes, actually there is." Kyoko said quickly. "I… oh, well never mind!" she backed off easily. "No, please tell me.", "Um… I was wondering… is there any chance to invite more people to our wedding? I have some friends from co...cooking courses and I though it would be nice...", "Yes, of course! Invite them!" Sho's mother smiled warmly. She always was worried about Kyoko, since she had some difficulties in making friends. Now that Kyoko made some, she would willingly meet them. "OK. So can I invite four more people?", "Yes, that's OK!" she was more than happy. They said their goodbyes happily and Kyoko gave Sho his phone back.

"You are lucky. She seems to be gleeful. I really doubted that you would be able to make her this way, but I'm glad that I was wrong." Sho could not find any proper words. Was his mother… complimenting him? He didn't remember her doing it previously. But he had to destroy the moment by saying: "Do you remember our deal? Especially that last part of it." His mother shook her head, disappointed. 'And I thought that he had changed.', "Yes, I remember it. But are you planning to tell Kyoko about it?" He didn't hesitate. "No. Not before the wedding day.'"

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I had so much fun reading your reviews. Thank you so much. I'm missing Ren already, so I will make sure he will come back soon. I made my blog to add this fanfic there as well (it's my username then dot then blogspot and com). I plan to post the chapters there sooner than on this site. But for now: I hope you have a good day and see you soon~!**


	46. Still carry the flame

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 46

Still carry the flame

Uneki brushed away his hair from face, after he had made another perfect punch. He could feel sweat running down his body and he had to take a short break to make sure he was breathing properly. "I overdid." he mumbled, not aware of the fact that he was not only thinking about it, but he said it loud as well. Luckily there was no one else in this room, so he made the last hit and he left that poor punching bag alone.

He sat down on the floor, trying to calm his nerves down. Lately Uneki found himself exercising more than usually. He wanted to blame somebody or something for it, but deep down he knew the reason of his atypical behaviour. 'First of all – my brother Kouki.' he started to count. "The second one was Fuwa Sho." he had already felt as a looser, but he continued. "And now Tsuruga Ren, the most desirable man in Japan, himself." Getting suddenly tired, he laid down on the floor and covered his eyes from the lights. They seemed to irritate him and soon he found out that his face was wet not only thanks to the sweat.

'Great. Now this…' How long has it been since the last time he cried? He could almost set the date in his mind. The day his previous girlfriend chose his brother instead of him. That day he cried and sobbed and it hurt so much that he promised to himself that he would never cry like that again. That he would never let his dream girl go. "I'm such a loser." he said loudly. He wanted to punch something so badly, but it meant that he should have got up and face the world. Uneki didn't feel like doing it. So he laid down on the floor, almost flooding in his tears.

On his way back home he decided that he would confess to Kyoko during the next lesson. He had a whole weekend to determine, what kind of words he should use to convince her to be his girlfriend. He had a lot of rivals, rather strong ones, but he made up his mind. No more running away, no more hiding. She may break his heart, but he was ready for the final blow. 'It can't be worse than now.' he thought sadly. Uneki didn't know that he might have been wrong.

The weekend passed by uneventfully. Ren was making some small corrections with people from LME's PR Department. He was surprised that they were stern and they checked carefully each of his words. It was an important oration. It might impact his whole career. He couldn't fail.

Uneki was making his own speech, more informal one, yet he was stressed about it just like the best actor in Japan. The last time he confessed, that girl accepted his feeling gladly. Sadly, she did it so as to get closer to his older brother. 'Don't think about it now!' he tried to immure his emotions for the time being.

Kyoko was laying down on her couch, watching TV all day long. She didn't have much of a choice though. Each movement made her leg hurt terribly, so she reduced her motions as much as possible. She didn't get to see Sho often, since he came back to the Kyoto to discuss some important things about their wedding. Kyoko dreamt of being with him, but her body didn't agree with her. She was attached to her sofa for the rest of the weekend.

Every three of them was scared about the Monday. Kyoko had to use her crutches, which made her uncomfortable. Yes, it didn't hurt and allowed her to move, but she hated the glares from the other students. She didn't plan to attend her classes, she just wanted to talk to some of the people in the school. She was glad to see Kouki, right after she walked into the building.

"Can I help you somehow, Madame?" He greeted her jokingly. "Thank you for your concern my dear Mister, but I must reject your proposal. I'm doing great." she answered smiling. "But wait! There's one thing I want to discuss with you." Kyoko added. "So let me escort you to the next chair, so you can rest a little." And so he did. "Actually there are two thing that I want to tell you, but for now let's just talk about the most important one." She started. "I must take a break from the courses. I mean… I will still watch them and try to learn something, but I'm unable to take part in things connected with moving." Kyoko explained. "Is there a way for me to still attend the lessons?", "Yes, you can watch them, if you want. But please, take care of your leg and don't overdo yourself." She wanted to hug him, but she ended up shaking his hand as they made their deal.

"Did you see your brother somewhere?" Kouki knew about his brother's plans, so he decided to help him a little. "He was looking for you. I bet you can meet him under that tree." He pointed the cherry blossom one, where she had met Uneki often. She thanked Kouki and hurried there (as fast as the crutches allowed her).

She sat down carefully and waited for him. And soon enough she noticed the one, she was feared to see the most. "Good morning Uneki-san!" she shouted, trying to hide her uneasiness. He approached her quickly and greeted her as well. "I'm happy to see you. I… um, wanted to say something to you." He started and his voice was a bit shaky. "What a coincidence! I wanted to say something to you as well!" she smiled warmly, making his heart beat unevenly. He gulped and looked around to avoid an eye contact with her. It didn't start the way he had planned.

 **AN/ Ugh, I wanted them to talk in this chapter! And I really feel bad, when I write about that punching bag… . Anyway – thank you for your feedback. It really makes my life. And look at those reviews! We are about to hit the magic number of 100. I couldn't do this without your help, so thank you once more! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	47. A minute of pleasure

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 47

A minute of pleasure

"You can tell it first, Uneki-san!" Kyoko suggested, glad that she had some more time to prepare her own speech. The boy blushed deeply, suddenly not certain about his plan at all. "I… I don't think it's a good idea, Mogami-san." he responded. She didn't seem to be convinced, so he tried to encourage her to start. "You were the one to find me, so it would be natural thing that you begin the conversation." She laughed lightly, realising that they had already started they discourse. "Why don't we say it at the same time?" Uneki thought about it for a second. It would be a true bliss, if she told him the same thing he wanted to tell her. But he counted his chances. They were close to zero.

"It's a nice idea, but I'm afraid that we would not be able to understand each other this way. And we can't waste your time, since the lessons are about to start." Uneki explained. "Oh, the lessons, right… ." she suddenly saddened. "Did something happen?" he asked worried. "No, it's not like that. I just thought that I should take a break today, you know, my leg etc.", "If that's the case then it's OK. Anyway… I think that we can talk like that endlessly and I really like every single conversation with you, but we should get to the point one day. Please, start."

Kyoko still wasn't sure about it. How could she explain it to him properly? She needed to take things slowly, making sure that he understands the importance of discretion. "Um… my life has changed since I met you." she began. "I really enjoy lessons with you… and with other teachers as well." her confidence dropped. Was it really OK to tell him this? At the same time Uneki had some serious mental breakdown. It sounded as if she was to confess her feelings. He gulped and looked away to hide his red face.

"And I think that you became a close person to my heart.", 'Oh no! It can't be real! Please, don't be a misunderstanding, please be real!' he prayed in his mind as he was listening to her words. "That's why I wanted to tell you that I...", "I think I know what you want to say." he stopped her. "I feel the same way about you, so don't worry!" Uneki opened his arms, waiting for her to hug him. And so she did.

"Thank you so much for understanding! I'm still impressed that you guessed what I wanted to say.", "It wasn't difficult to do, really. You were pretty straightforward.", "I was?", "Yes, you were." he whispered, taking a deep breath to smell her hair. It was intoxicating. But then she moved, as if she felt uneasy. Kyoko took a step back, confused a little. Uneki's heart stopped. She was standing there, blushing and looking at her feet. She was so adorable that he wanted to hug her once more. He breathed in, getting ready to confess his love for her.

"Kyoko-chan… I thing that I'm in l...", "They date is already set." she interrupted him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was spacing out a bit and I didn't hear you." she bowed, which wasn't easy to do with her crutches. "No, don't worry. I can tell it once more… . But what date are we talking about?" Kyoko finally raised her head and looked straight at him. "The wedding of course." she blurted out. His face was no longer red. It was getting unhealthy claret.

"Um… a wedding, you say? Eh… I'm OK with it, but don't you think that it's still too early?" She shook her head quickly. "No, I don't think so! Moko-san… I mean Kotonami-san talked about it with me and she agrees with my decision." Uneki's head was spinning. His plan was to make her his girlfriend. Could it be that they will end up as an engaged couple? There were a lot of things that he didn't know about her, but he was eager to learn all of her secrets, hopes and dreams. And to make sure they will come true. Marriage? He didn't mind it at all… .

"So Kotonami-san knows it already? Is anyone else informed about it too?", "No, no, I wanted to keep it a secret. Things like that don't happen everyday." He couldn't agree more. "I promise that you won't regret this decision!" he declared, feeling self-confident out of the blue. She giggled. "How can you be so sure about it?", "Because I promise it to you." Kyoko smiled widely, thinking about his assured voice. "It's a good thing to have someone like you as a friend. Thank you so much for it." she bowed once more, making him confused again.

"Yes… a friends. So… about the date?", "Oh, yes! I already talked to my future parents-in-law and they found a suitable date.", "Why didn't you tell me first about it?", 'And when did she call my parents?', "Um, sorry. I wanted to be ready to tell you this now. The wedding will be held in the mid November. Are you OK with it?" He would be OK with any date, since it was about their marriage. He could not believe his luck. "How much did you plan without my help?", "Oh, I didn't want you to do a lot of things… . I was able to make most of arrangements, so there is not much to do left." she explained happily.

He looked at Kyoko, the woman he met not even a month ago. But he knew that his feelings were sincere and he couldn't live without her now. So he took a step forward. "I think that you will be a perfect..." he closed her lips with his kiss. He leant forward, holding her tight, so she would not loose the balance. Uneki started sweetly and lightly, but then he deepened the kiss, making her breathless. When he finally released her, she ended. "...best man."

 **AN/ Please, don't kill me! I didn't plan this at all. Uneki, why did you do this? I was controlling this chapter, when he released form my influence and did all of this things on his own. So, if you want to kill someone so badly, kill him! I hope you have a good day and see you soon~!**


	48. An hour of pain

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 48

An hour of pain

Kanae was looking for Kyoko to check if her leg was getting better. She heard that the girl had come to the school, even though her injury was quite serious. Moko-san didn't understand her behaviour. 'She's hurt, yet she still goes here.' She wasn't sure, if she would do the same thing, if she was Kyoko. 'Moreover she is not in the classroom. What is she planning to do? She can't be skipping lessons, can she?' So Kanae decided to search for her.

There were a lot of places, where Kyoko could hide, but Kotonami-san's feet led her way. She found herself outside the building, close to that huge cherry blossom tree. Her friend loved it, so it would be a natural that she would spend her time there. Kanae was to get closer, when she heard some familiar sounds.

"They date is already set." Kyoko's clear voice pierced through the wind. 'Who is she talking to?' Moko-san didn't want to look like a stalker, but she decided not to reveal herself, if there is a possibility that she may interrupt some important conversation. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was spacing out a bit and I didn't hear you.", 'So typical.', "No, don't worry. I can tell it once more… . But what date are we talking about?" Kotonami-san identified the voice's owner quickly. 'The younger Azuma? What date is she talking about? Could it be that she is to invite him to her wedding?'

Kanae didn't share any strong feelings towards any of the teachers, but she pitied Uneki. It was obvious that he didn't see Mogami-san as a student or a friend. 'He is getting his heart broken.' she realised. Not sure, if she should intervene, she stayed hidden behind the wall. Then her friend assured her that she was right. She was talking about her wedding. 'Poor Azuma-san.' She felt bad about eavesdropping, so she got herself ready to leave, when she heard her name.

"No, I don't think so! Moko-san… I mean Kotonami-san talked about it with me and she agrees with my decision.", 'Well… that is new. When did I tell her that I approve her decision? I am the last person to do so.' Now she couldn't go, since she was involved in that weird dialogue. In the end, she made a decision to wait for the events to develop. She spaced out a little, but then she noticed that Uneki's voice changed.

"I promise that you won't regret this decision!" he declared. 'Strange. He sounds as if he was the one to ma… he can't be misunderstanding it, can he?' She could not believe that someone might be so foolish, but then she remembered that apparently people in love act like they are out of their minds. 'If that's an example, I really don't want to fall in love. Never.'

Kanae was hesitant. 'Should I stop him now? I mean… it's even embarrassing to _listen to_ him, not to mention _being_ him actually.' And then it happened. She held off the scream of surprise, while she was looking at her friend being kissed by someone, she didn't love. 'Damn it! I shouldn't have hung back!'

Kyoko's mind was in a mess. Her brain could not interpret the information properly, but it managed to end her sentence. "… best man." Her eyes widened from the shock and she was not able to stop the kiss. Her body seemed useless and limp. Before she could even notice it, she has lost her conscious.

Luckily Uneki was still holding her firmly, so she wasn't hurt. Physically, at least. 'What have I done?' he was questioning himself as his mind was looking for some solution. But he was still dizzy after the kiss and he wasn't able to take care of her correctly. Kanae couldn't stand looking at him.

"There." she pointed the tree and made him put Kyoko on the ground. "Good. Now, step aside. You're stealing her oxygen." Moko-san didn't want to be mean to Uneki, but she was angry at him. How could he take an advantage of her best (and only) friend? She leant closer to Kyoko and checked her pulse and breath. "You're lucky. It's nothing serious.", 'My Kami! It would be so troublesome, if she had to go to the hospital again in a short period of time!' Uneki found himself holding his breath. "Thank you." he gasped. "… And I'm sorry." Kanae glared at him with hostility. "She should be the one being apologised, don't you think?" she looked at Kyoko concerned.

"God, I don't know what I was thinking! It's just… I couldn't help myself. She looked as if she really wanted to kiss me as well, so...", "Stop it here or I'm gonna disembowel you." Kanae threatened him. "She may be a little dumb, but you should know her better." Uneki bowed deeply. "I'm so sorry! But what can I do now?" Moko-san sighed. She had already knew the solution, but she wasn't sure, if she should tell him. She didn't trust him, but she couldn't leave this to her friend. 'I'm doing this for you Kyoko, so you've better be thankful, when you wake up!' She knew it would not happen, but she didn't mind.

"Kyoko, can you hear me?" she heard someone form the distance. The question was repeated and the voice seemed to be closer and closer. Then she noticed that someone was shouting at her. "Wake up already, you dummy! We're gonna be late for our lessons!" Kyoko looked at the beautiful woman in front of her. "Moko-san..." she whispered. "Where am I?" Kanae sighed. "Under that tree, did you forget? I was looking for you everywhere and I just found you taking a nap here! Mo! Get ready and let's go!" Kyoko seemed to regain her full conscience.

"Did you see Uneki-san?", "You mean Azuma-san? No, I didn't. Why do you care though?! You will see him soon during the classes.", "But did we kiss…?", "What are you talking about? You must have dreamt of him! My Kami! I hope your fiancé would never get to know about it!" Kanae smiled as she saw her friend's expression. She seemed to be relieved and even blushed a little. "So it was just a dream! Thank Kami!" And so both girls went together to the building, one of them not aware of the fact that someone had stolen her first kiss.

 **AN/ ANNOUNCEMENT! I wrote bonus chapter as well, where Uneki tried to convince Kyoko to choose him. You can read it on my blog. (cromarry dot blogspot dot com). Don't treat the name of the blog seriously, since there are no ads there xp. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	49. Not an invitation

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 49

Not an invitation

Kyoko was touching her lips unwittingly during the whole lesson. It definitely made Uneki uncomfortable, since he was a substitute teacher after Naoko's leaving. He wasn't sure, whether Kyoko believed her friend or not, so he blushed each time Kyoko unconsciously was fingering her mouth. Luckily for him, she didn't notice. She was concerned with inviting her friends. Kanae was the only one, who knew that she was engaged. Explaining the situation might have been unpleasant. So she did her best during the lesson, slightly disappointed with the fact that all she could do was sitting and observing the rest of the group.

Kanae was keeping track with her friend's state. Even though she trusted Moko-san and gladly accepted her version of events, she seemed to still think about it. 'I hope she won't find that guy attractive, though.' Kotonami-san thought. Then she shook her head. 'What am I thinking about? I guess, I don't want that dummy to be with someone, who took an advantage of her!' she tried to reason it. Whatever the motive, Kanae would not let Kyoko be hurt again by Uneki.

When the lesson ended, Mogami-san approached the younger Azuma and Kotonami-san and invited them to her wedding. Uneki used all of his acting skills to fake a surprised expression and he had to use all of his willpower to congratulate her cheerfully. Kanae appreciated his efforts and promised that she would not tell anyone about Kyoko's relationship with a famous musician. Uneki wasn't content about that secret, but he vowed that he would keep it to himself. 'Why are they hiding it?' he wondered. 'If I was him, I would boast about my future marriage with Kyoko. I would love to make sure that everyone knows that she's taken.'

During the lunch break Kyoko was looking for the older Azuma. She found him eating alone in the other part of the building. He seemed somehow depressed. Kouki didn't notice that she was in front of him, so she coughed. "Hello Kouki-san! I wanted to tell you the other thing. Is the moment appropriate?" She smiled warmly. He could do nothing, but smile back. "Yes, of course. Please, sit down.", "There's no need." she refused. Kouki looked sceptically on her leg, making her take a seat in the end.

"So what do you want to tell me?" he asked. "Um… did you get in touch with Saito-san?" his mood dropped. "Yes, I did. She's doing well as always, but I can't stop worrying about her." He confessed. "You really do care about her." summarised Kyoko. "You must be a really close friends.", "Yes, we are, since the day one I can tell. Usually I don't make friends so quickly, beacuse I'm a little bit suspicious. But she was different… ." he was lost in his thoughts for a moment. "I know this feeling! It's the same as me and Moko-san!" Kouki nodded, hiding his true opinion. He had a lot of friends, but none of them was like her. He felt like he could tell her anything, while risking that she would spread a new gossip. He trusted her so much. He even told her about his fears about his younger brother and she promised to help him.

"Naoko, I miss you." he whispered, not aware of the fact that he said it aloud. Kyoko wasn't an expert, when it came to love, but she suspected that his female teacher might have been something more than a friend to his another teacher. 'I wonder, if it's mutual.' She thought about Saito-san, but it was still to early to tell, if they had some feelings for each other. Kyoko decided to check it out.

"I asked you about her, because I have a small problem." she started. "You know… I'm getting married soon." she muttered. The silence filled the room. "Um… wow… that was quite unexpected. I'm sorry to ask, but how old are you?" He finally said. "Em… I'm sixteen." Kouki closed his eyes as if he had a headache. "Well… congratulations! Who's the lucky guy?", 'Definitely not Uneki.' he thought sadly. "Do you remember that singer visiting us?", "Fuwa Sho, right?", "Yes, so… it's him."

Kouki started to think that she was playing a prank. Getting married so early with someone so famous. It couldn't be true. But then he realised… . "You can't be pregnant!" he shouted. "No! I am not!" Kyoko quickly reacted. "Oh Kami. You're the second person accusing me of it. I wouldn't do… such a shameless thing before the marriage!" she blushed deeply. 'You need to change the topic Kyoko!' she motivated herself. "Never mind. I wanted to invite you and Saito-san as well, but… ."

It made him interested. 'What is the problem?', "You know… after that incident things changed a lot… and I always treated her as an important person. But she may not consider herself as a close friend of mine. And I don't want her to think that I'm inviting her, only because I'm pitying her or anything… . So… Oh, no. I shouldn't ask." Kyoko set a trap. He was tempted. "No please, tell me. I would love to help you." she smiled wryly. "I'm not sure about that idea, but… what if I invited you to the wedding and you would ask her out as your plus one… . Oh no, please forget about it!", "You… you mean as my partner. Well, yes… it may work this way."

Kyoko smiled widely and shouted: "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm sure that she will come now! I don't know how to thank you!", 'Just make my brother not love you.' he thought bitterly, but didn't say it loud. Kyoko was quite pretty, when she was happy and he didn't want to ruin the good mood. She quickly bowed and walked away, just in case he wanted to change his mind.

When Kouki was all alone, he realised. 'Oh my Kami! How am I going to invite her now?!'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Today's story is about a karma. Few days ago I sprained Kyoko's leg. Today, during the PE I was playing basketball, when one girl pushed me by an accident (or so I hope). To make long story short – my leg hurts like hell. It's not broken nor sprained, but it still hurts with every step that I take. But it's not that karma I wanted to talk about. I always let elder people sit down in a tram, in the place I used to sit. Today one young woman saw me and she let mi sit in her place. Honestly? You can call me a crybaby, but I had to fight my tears. I didn't expect it at all. Anyway – thank you for following my fanfic. Don't forget to check out my blog for an extra chapter (cromarry dot blogspot dot com) I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	50. Nothing left to prove

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat~! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 50

Nothing left to prove

Yashiro looked at Ren concerned. His client was looking outside the car window with an emotionless expression on his face. With earphones put over his ears, he gave Yashiro an easy to understand message. 'He really doesn't want to talk about it… . I hope I could help him somehow.' He sighed deeply, checking Ren's speech once more. They said that it was perfect, but he still doubted the word choice. 'Somehow it sounds as if he wanted to take a break from acting.' He could not imagine it. Tsuruga-san's schedule was always full. It didn't have to be this way. If Ren had some other hobbies or close relations with someone, he could have changed it. But years have passed and he was the same as ever – working all day long with no breaks or time to rest. 'What would he do with his life, if he gave up on acting?' Yashiro didn't want to think about it.

When they arrived, Ren came in quickly, totally ignoring all the paparazzi. At the same time Yashiro tried to block the way for the crowd. The press wasn't the problem itself. Ren's manager found it difficult to stop his teenage fans. Usually the young actor would smile at them and made them nosebleed and become less dangerous taken as a whole. Today however, his gloomy face gave the reporters some good article material. Yashiro didn't like it at all.

Ren met the actor, who would be in charge of playing Katsuki in his place. They smiled politely and chatted for a while, but everyone could see that they didn't get on well with each other. Luckily director Ogata came into the room, improving the mood quickly. He bowed to everyone and talked about the most important things. Yashiro found that a perfect moment to cheer Ren up. "Are you stressed?" his client ignored his question, trying to look like he was deep in thoughts. It didn't work. "Ren, don't ignore me please. I want to make sure you're OK with it." Finally he looked at him. "Truth be told, I'm not OK with it, but is there any chance to change it?" It made Yashiro quiet. Ren was rehearsing his speech and soon it was his time to start the press conference.

"Don't worry too much. It's not like you're being thrown to the wolves." he tried comfort him. "Oh, is it?" Ren could only answer. And so he put the best of his smiles on his face and walked into the meeting room. The flashes from the cameras made him blind for a moment. Some reporters were already asking some uneasy questions. 'Now or never.' he thought.

"Good afternoon. I'm glad you came here. There has been some rumours going around about the shooting of Dark Moon. Today I will explain everything and then you will have a chance to ask me any of your question." He was proud of himself. He hid his true emotions and managed to keep his voice firmly. "It is said that I failed as a Katsuki. To be honest, he's not an easy character to act. His feelings are most of the time smothered and he can not show them to the people he truly loves. Twenty years ago a great actor managed to create a perfect Katsuki. Today our aim is to conceive the better version of that drama and we can not let anyone fail this mission." Ren took a deep breath.

"That is why I'm resigning from this role." The room was filled with murmurs and whispers and some of the reporters took a photo of him. He kept a straight face, while trying not to look as heartbroken as he felt. It reminded him of his early years as an actor. Failing. Letting down. Being frustrated. He really wanted to perform the best Katsuki, yet he underwhelmed everyone once more. 'Enough of it!' he thought to himself. 'I won't let it break me. I have something else to do.'

"A week ago I had a pleasure to meet some aspiring, young actors. Most of them didn't act well and some of them were like a professionals. But it doesn't matter now, really. What I saw in everyone's eyes was their determination. And happiness. Then I realised that I lacked it. I didn't enjoy acting as someone, who I can't understand. So not only for the sake of the production, but my sanity as well, I will gladly let someone else create the new Katsuki that you're all waiting for. Are there any questions?" he ended with a rhetorical statement.

"What was the most difficult part in acting as a Katsuki?", "His feelings." Ren didn't hesitate a second. "I've never been in forbidden love and I wasn't able to fake it realistically.", "Is there anyone you're going out with now?" Tsuruga-san did his best not to sigh. They would ask the same thing, no matter the topic of the conference. "No, I'm not. And predicting your next question – I'm not in love with anyone currently."

"But is there anyone you want to see right now?" the reporter wasn't convinced. Suddenly the image of Kyoko flashed in front of Ren's eyes. 'Why did I think about her?' He wondered. 'I guess that I'm worried about her health state.' The journalists noticed his hesitation and made some photos quickly. Ren managed to come up with a story about someone important, so they were quite satisfied. 'Maybe they will create some kind of rumour that will outshine my statement?' he really hoped so.

"Are you scared of the actor taking your place?" They asked and asked. It took him another fifteen minutes to answer. Then his replacement was introduced and he had a moment to relax. It all ended quickly. No controversial accusations made it easier of course. Ren noticed Lory in the end of the room. He pointed the room next to the one they were then and Tsuruga-san knew that he was expected there. So he left that place and hoped that the next conversation wouldn't be more difficult than the previous one.

Ren didn't notice a deadly glance from the actor in charge of Katsuki's role. It didn't last long, so no one could read his heart. 'It's the beginning of your end, Tsuruga-san. Just wait for me to steal your first place.'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! It's been a looong day! As always, thank you for your support :). You make my life! Look at this cover! My friend told me that it's only a sketch, but I love it already! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~**!


	51. Everything good needs replacing

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 51

Everything good needs replacing

There was only Lory in the room, which made Ren feel somewhat secure. However the president's face didn't show any positive emotions. 'What did I do wrong?' the actor wondered. "Congratulations on your press conference. It sounded as if you liked the idea of being substituted." he told him. "Thank you. I worked hard on that speech with the best members of the PR department, so it's not surprising that it ended up well." his voice sounded serious, yet full of confidence. It made Lory smile a little. He had been predicting that Ren would be knocked down by the reporters, but somehow he managed to save himself and his job.

"It reminds me… did you plan with the PR department to make a statement about _someone important_? It was really convincing. You made it sound as if you gave up the role to spend some more time with that person.", "Um… no. I guess I got distracted and then I just tried to save the day." his voice dropped a little. 'I hope he didn't notice.' He sure noticed. "Is that so…?" Lory smirked, sensing Ren's uneasiness.

"Anyway, I hope you are aware of the fact that it is a turning point in your career. From now on, everything can become an opportunity to broaden your acting skills and fame or it can jeopardise all of your efforts." Tsuruga-san gulped. He knew that it was a serious situation, but listening to his boss saying it this way made him extra anxious. The president seemed to be content about Ren's reaction. 'That kid needs to know that things may not always be the same as they are now.'

"Is there anything that I should be more cautious about?" finally asked Ren. "Not something, but someone." Lory said it straight. "You mean… the new Katsuki.", "He has a name and I'm more than sure that we will hear it more often now. It's Kimura Itsuki to specify. Remember it. He has a lot of potential and you know how rarely I think about anyone like that." Ren didn't feel bad about it. Itsuki was only some new star. He would shine as long as his fans allow him to and then he would fall down, just like everybody else in that industry.

Lory observed Ren cautiously. He didn't like the way Tsuruga-san treated his words. They were to frighten him and make him work harder to avoid some kind of catastrophe. Yet, his best actor ignored his warning. 'He got spoiled.', "Just the fact that you are a number one doesn't mean that it will last forever. There are lot of people, waiting for you to fall and take over your place." He sighed deeply. "I checked the Kimura-san's background and I'm really worried about you. Please, give my words some thought and don't drag yourself down. You need to be more alert to every of your action now." Ren smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern. As always, I will do my best." 'But will it be enough?' Lory felt some strange déjà vu. 'I really do hope he won't destroy himself.' He could sense some dark aura coming from Ren. It reminded him of the actor's early teens. The anger in his eyes, the confidence in his words and the fear in his heart. 'I've got this weird feeling that I just unlocked a bad ending in some otome game. It's the first time I don't want my foreboding to be true.'

That day Kyoko came back home earlier, since it hurt her that she could not attend her lessons the way she wanted. 'Why is it painful tho?' She wasn't sure. Each time she tried to gave up that courses, she failed miserably. 'I got attached to people I met there.' But it was only a half of the truth. Kyoko was satisfied, when she learnt something new. It made her feel complete, as if she was doing things she was destined to do. Of course she didn't think about that. The girl always believed that she was to marry Sho and make him happy. His happiness equalled hers. Never the other way around.

Sho was sitting on the couch with pen in his hand and lot of paper sheets around him. It looked like wanted to be covered by them absolutely. "Another block?" she didn't even need to ask. Her fiancé was getting more and more concerned about his songs. He wanted them to be better. Sho would no longer accept mediocrity, since he wanted to stay at the top. "Seems like it." he sighedlengthy. "Put down your pen, please." she ordered him, feeling confident out of the nowhere. "Why are you telling me this?" Sho was annoyed. "Just look around. It's no use. Today you won't write anything, if you don't change your attitude. How about a small break?" As much as he hated her bossing around, the idea of a short rest appealed to him. "Sure, why not?"

They turned on TV and changed the channels quickly, not able to find anything appropriate. 'It's weird that there are so many channels and nothing to watch." Kyoko complained as she was looking for something interesting. "Stop it now! Go back! Yes, this one!" Sho shouted. It was some gossip program about celebrities. Kyoko saw the title of the episode, still not sure, if she saw it correctly.

"Yess! Pretty-boy face is making another mistake. Guess who's gonna be the next number one!", 'Definitely not you.' Kyoko was shocked of her thought. Somehow she didn't like Sho boasting himself, when someone else failed. Especially when that person was Tsuruga Ren himself, the one who helped her lately. 'Why do I want to take his side?' She was grateful that Sho could not read her mind. "I feel like I can write a thousands of songs now!" And so he took his pen back and started to create his new hit, while Kyoko was fighting with her own, weird feelings.

 **AN/ I'm sorry to update it an hour later than usually, but I had an eventful day. I hurt my leg once more and I hope it will stop now or else I will have to amputate it ;p. And look at those reviews! We've just hit the magical number of 100~! I want to thank every single one of you for supporting me, even when you're just reading this story and not leaving any proof that you're actually doing it. My hearts skips a beat each time I look at the amount of people checking out my story. Thank you so much once more. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	52. Put a little sunshine

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 52

Put a little sunshine

Time flew by quickly. People couldn't tell, whether it was Kyoko's body ability or her steel determination, but she was recovering quite fast. She still wasn't able to attend her lessons the way she wanted though. Nevertheless she practised secretly in her home in front of the mirror. It reminded her of her childhood. She would act like she was someone confident and popular. Or that she was a princess. Kyoko was smiling each time, when she thought about her field trip experience. She used her jealousy to create a convincing character. Now that she had some time to consider everything that had happened that day and she accepted those events. She proved that she could do something amazing, if she desired to do so.

Before she was able to notice, it was already late summer. The courses were to end soon. Kyoko tried not to complain, but she really hated the idea of coming back to her usual lifestyle. The lessons let her forget about the sad truth. Despite the marriage, she had no other purpose in her life. There was nothing else that she could wait for. Noting that would make her feel satisfied or completed. Sho wouldn't allow her to do her courses once more after their wedding.

'I really should find some new hobby. Or can I go back to the Darumaya?' Kyoko hoped so. She already missed Taisho, his wife and their kindness. They seemed to be like her parents. 'But do they still remember me? They must have found someone else on my place. Yes… who would think about me after I left that person?'

Every single lesson was more and more sad. No one said a thing, but everyone sensed the forthcoming end and the absence of Naoko didn't improve the atmosphere whatsoever. That's why Kouki's idea seemed to be appealing to the group. "Another field trip?" Kyoko was somehow scared. The last time she had to hide for the half of the day. She didn't want to think what challenge would occur this time. "This time a real one." Smiled Kouki. "Three days, two nights, the whole weekend to precise."

The girl was sure that her fiancé would not let her go, but unexpectedly he agreed willingly. He told her that he would try to write another song, but secretly he planned to seduce his manager. Kyoko, not aware of his decision, enjoyed herself, since she was able to walk more or less normally. She packed herself quickly and went shopping with Kanae to buy a one piece swimsuit. Kyoko always believed that it was easier to find some fairies at the sea side than in the city. She didn't share her theory with anyone else, but she secretly hoped that she would be able to see at least one.

They finally arrived. It was a mid August. The weather was still nice, but it was far from the heat from the previous month. "It's a perfect time to go on a beach!" announced Uneki, making everyone excited. Kyoko glanced at him. Things got weird between them since she invited him on her wedding. Maybe a little earlier… 'Could it be that it's all my fault?' Kyoko asked herself. 'It's not like he really k...kissed me or anything… it was just my imagination. I was tired then and… yes… . Now he seems to be more distant then earlier. I must apologise later.'

They left their bags in their hotel and changed into their swimsuits. Kyoko shared her room with Kanae and two other girls. It made her imagination go wild. 'Sounds like a slumber party!' Poor girls didn't know what was to happen during night, when they chose to be with Kanae and Kyoko! The latter was already making plans for food, what kind of stories to tell and whether she should invite more people to join them. Needless to say, it was going to be a long night.

Kyoko put on a dress, ashamed of showing her skin on her way to the beach. The other women went there with their bikinis only. "Mogami-san~! Why are you looking like this?" asked one of her room-mate. "Don't you want any boy to look at you?" She really didn't. But that girl would not give up, unless Kyoko took off her dress. She decided to take a risk. "Um… no. Actually there is someone I like and… ." she didn't have a chance to end her sentence.

"Oh! Could it be Azuma-san!? I mean… the younger one." she giggled, amused by Kyoko's blush. "You're so cute and innocent, ha ha! Don't worry! I promise I won't tell him.", "No, it's not like that, I..." but the girl was already heading towards the beach, ignoring her words. 'The new rumour will be spread soon, I guess.' Kyoko sighed. 'I wish Saito-san was here with us. And why did that girl ask about Uneki-san of all of the boys?'

The beach looked like it was from some kind of American film. 'Or from a fairytale!' added Kyoko's mind. Everyone started to chatter, place their towels and spread the sun cream all over their bodies. Soon it was impossible to calm down the group. "Hey… Hey! Please, I need to announce one last thing before you get your free time." shouted Kouki. "So it's not like we have a free time all the time?" complained someone. "No, because we're gonna practise our acting here as well.", "Noo! What kind of challenge will we face today?!" somebody else asked. "Oh, wait… there's no Naoko-san here." That person stopped, realising that he was walking a tightrope.

There was a moment of an unpleasant silence, when Kouki finally answered. "I wish she was there as well." he sighed deeply. "She was always the one to make some extraordinary tasks in the last minute." Kouki added quietly. The same girl, who was interviewing Kyoko, whispered to the person next to her: "I ship them so much now!" Then she thought about it for a second and made a quick decision. "How about we help them a little?"

 **AN/ Hello everyone! A beach episode, yeah! There must be at least one. It's the queen of the fillers, no matter what you say. I realised that I'm trying to avoid writing about something… that was supposed to be written in the 3rd chapter… . Yes… I'm gonna avoid it for a few chapters more and then it will be a time for a feel trip! Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	53. Tease for fun

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 53

Tease for fun

Knowing that they would eventually have some work to do there, the group decided to enjoy their free time as much as they could. Most of the boys went swimming, while girls preferred to sunbathe. Kyoko bought a beach ball especially for that trip, so she spend at least twenty minutes, trying to convince Moko-san to play with her. When she agreed, they soon found another people willing to join them and then the game started. Kanae's height was her advantage, but the boy in the other team managed to block most of her attacks. Kyoko, on the other hand, was small, which helped her to move quicker than the opponents. The match was so intense that soon enough most of the group members were watching them and cheering on one of the teams. They were some bets and those, who chose Kanae's team, won.

"It was a tight game." admitted Moko-san. "Next time I will win!" shouted Kyoko, unable to hide her huge smile. "There won't be any next time." mumbled Kanae, making everyone laugh a little. Mogami-san decided to swim and Kotonami-san took some book and sunbathed, while reading it. "What's the title?" asked her Uneki. "It's a scenario. After the trip I'm going to have an audition for a minor role in a drama." she answered, hoping that the boy would leave her alone. She still didn't forgive him the thing that he had done to Kyoko. "Good luck then. If you want, we can practise together and I will grade your acting." he proposed, slightly aware of her reluctance, yet not thinking about giving up. "Thanks, but I'm gonna pass."

Uneki sighed. "I know that you don't like me and I really don't mind, it's just… I wanted to thank you. You saved my skin that day. If you ever had any problem, don't hesitate and ask me for help." And without waiting for her response, he walked away to look for his brother. He didn't have to try hard, honestly. Everyone's gazes were concentrated on a tall man, holding some big gadget. "What do you think you are doing?" asked the younger brother. "Beachcombing." The metal detector made a small sound, making him stop. "Good thing, you're here. Let's dig for that treasure!" Uneki knew Kouki since the very beginning of his live and he could tell that he hadn't change even a little. 'Some people will never become the adults.' he thought as he helped his brother to unearth his prize.

"A computer keyboard?" shouted Kouki, unable to understand his bad luck. "But please, notice it! It's a metal one. They are more pricey that the normal ones." Uneki tried to make him feel better. "But who would like to buy a keyboard covered in a sand! It's useless now!", "You need to check it first." Then Uneki lost control and started to laugh loudly. "Hey! Stop that!", "I… ha ha ha… just ha ha.. can't!", "That's not fair at all!" complained Kouki. Some of his students joined the laughter as well. "If you don't stop, you're not gonna pass!" But no one really cared at that moment.

"OK, I will forgive you all, if you help me to punish my heartless brother!" they agreed quickly. Uneki tried to run away, but they were faster. Soon enough the younger brother was getting buried in sand. Kyoko joined them as well, thinking that it would be a perfect start to get closer to her reserved and somehow shy friend. Everyone enjoyed their time. Then Kouki decided to announce something.

"Hey! Time's up! Let's gather here, please!" he shouted, while the rest of the group was complaining and wailing. "Don't be like that! I want to show you some cool place!" no one really believed him, but they listened to him and followed their leader. They walked around ten minutes through the shore, when someone noticed their destination. "Look there!" he cried out. "It's a stage!" Indeed it was. The wooden stage, hidden in the edge of the beach was inviting the aspiring actors, who acted like a moth to a flame. There was no need to tell them anything more. They run towards the stage and loved every single square meter of it. "They are like a true actors now." complimented them Kouki. "Yes… it seems like we did it once more." admitted Uneki. They gave each other a high five and joined their students.

"Look at the time!" yelled out Uneki. "It's challenge o'clock!" Kouki was the only one to laugh. "Please, forgive him. He's new in the joke world. Anyway. As you probably predicted, we're going to prepare a short spectacle. We've already invited some of the locals for our show that will be held on Sunday evening, the last day of our trip." Some people made that indescribable sound that could only mean that they were scared, surprised and excited at the same time. Kyoko didn't share their happiness. "Here are the scripts! The audition will take place in one hour time, so choose your dream role and get ready quickly!" And so the challenge started.

Kyoko didn't take her script. She sat down on the end of the stage, drowning in unpleasant feelings. "What's wrong Mogami-san?" Kouki approached her quickly. "Aren't you excited for the play?" She shook her head. "It's nice and I'm sure that you will enjoy it. But my leg… I think I overburdened it accidentally. I just… wanted to have fun like everyone else, but I guess it's impossible now." she explained sadly. "Oh, cheer up! I'm gonna show you some of my magical tricks!"

Her hearted skipped a beat, as she heard the word: "magical". Her concentration was on Kouki. He made some weird gestures with his hands and then the piece of a paper showed out of the nowhere. Kyoko clapped her hands, but the show was not over yet. He made the same thing, but this time it didn't work. He seemed to be concerned, but then more paper sheets started to fly around them. "Oh my! You're a real magician!" Kyoko shouted excitedly. "That's not all. The true magic is written on those pages. Why don't you take a look?" She did so and then tears streamed down on her face. Kyoko wasn't comfortable doing it with any man, but she felt like hugging her friend. It was a script for a character with a broken leg.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Are you enjoying the beach episode(s)? I really am. As always, thank you for support! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	54. Stars are magic

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 54

Stars are magic

Needless to say, Kanae got a main, female role for their play. Not only her acting skills, but her great memory made it easy for the jury to choose her. When Kyoko heard that there was a role written especially for her, she had to do her best in order not to cry in front of everyone. It just… meant a lot to her. Someone thought about her and cared. She wasn't used to it, but she enjoyed the whole situation. Her role wasn't very important, but it created some kind of back-story and settled the mood. Kyoko was glad to do so.

They practised their lines for another two hours and it was already late evening, when they came back to their hotel to eat a supper. Kyoko didn't pay a lot of attention to her meal. Her head was spinning, while trying to create the plan for a perfect slumber party. 'It's still a lot of thing to do! Is there any convenience store, where I can buy some food? And when it comes to the music… .'

Kanae was somehow predicting some kind of tragedy, so she whispered to the girls, she shared a room with. "Please, be careful. I can't tell what's going on inside her head, but I can tell we won't like it.", "No, she can't be plotting anything!" disagreed the girl, who asked Kyoko about her feelings towards Uneki. 'What was her name?' Kanae didn't like the fact that she had forgotten it. 'Starting with M… Maki Akemi, is it right?' she decided to take a risk. "How can you be so sure Maki-san?"

"Oh, please, don't be so formal! Call me Akemi-chan!" the girl smiled. "I'm sure that she's thinking about a very peculiar man in her life… ." Akemi said mysteriously. 'She can't know about her wedding, can she?' Kanae was doubtful. "I'm not sure what you're trying to say.", "Oh, don't be like that! We all know that she has some feelings towards the younger Azuma.", "EH?!" Kanae choked. Then the real discussion started. More than the half of the students were listening to the conversation. Some of them took Akemi's side and cheered for Kyoko to be with Uneki. The other ones were not convinced, yet interested in the plot development.

Kouki looked at the ones being gossiped. They didn't notice the unusual commotion. 'Luckily for them.' he thought. Knowing that Kyoko was already taken, he didn't want to interfere any longer. It would only break his brother's heart once more. 'But on the other hand, it would be broken during the wedding as well. Maybe there's still a way to solve this problem.' He looked around and realised that there were more than enough people to help him, if he had needed it. 'Eh, what would Naoko do?'

The supper ended and everyone split up to their rooms. Kyoko's plan was about to start. She hurried and left the hotel to look for some snacks. When she finished her shopping, she came back to see that girls were already sleeping. 'I guess they were tired after today's rehearsal.' Mogami-san tried not to look disappointed, even if no one could see her then. 'There is still the other night!' she smiled sadly. 'Nothing left to do. I should just go to the bed.' And so she did. But before she drifted away, she had send a quick text to Sho.

She was woken up by the sound of the doors being knocked violently. "Mo! What's going on?" Kanae was the first one to get up. The other girls were rubbing their eyes, trying to convince their bodies that it's time to be awake. Kotonami-san hesitated for a moment and then decided to shout. "Who's there? Do you know what hour it is?" As an answer, she heard the voices of some of her classmates. "Open the door! It's time to go!", "Where?" she didn't get the response. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it. Let's dress up and see what's wrong."

They left the hotel building to see the rest of their class standing on the parking lot. Soon enough there was a loud sound of the wheels suddenly braking. In front of them were three pick up tracks. "Get in the van!" shouted one of the drivers. Kyoko recognised her teacher. "Where are we going?", "No time to explain! Hurry!" And so they did, confused a lot. The cars quickly drove away. There was another man in the vehicle, but it was too dark inside to recognise him. Girls protested, while he was covering their eyes, but the teacher ensured them that it was necessary. "I hope you're not kidnapping us!" threatened Kanae.

Finally the van stopped and everyone were released. Kyoko looked around. There were in the middle of the forest. "What's going on?" she asked, but did not receive any answer. Then she noticed Kouki coming out of the other pick up track. "Don't worry. We're here to integrate before the play.", "It's a poor choice of place, Azuma-san." commented Kanae. He could only smile. "There is no better way to get closer that to seek for the treasure. But since I could find only that useless keyboard, I had no other choice. We will look for some ghosts in the heart of the jungle… or the forest."

"EH?! Ghosts! Wha.. what are talking about?" some girls couldn't hide their fear. "You don't need to worry! There are some brave, young souls to escort you through that dark abyss! And they are no one else but your teachers themselves!" he sounded as if he wanted to sell something badly. Kyoko smiled a little, even though she was a bit scared.

'Oh Kami! If only Naoko was there! She would know what to do now! There's no other way around, it seems.' Kouki thought sadly. "Now, let's make sure Mogami-san is in the same group as my hopeless brother.'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! How is your day? I wanted to thank every single one of you for reading this story. The last few days were crazy, if it comes to the number of the views. No matter how many times I thank you, I feel it's not enough! So… thank you. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	55. Life is tragic

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters**.

Chapter 55

Life is tragic

Kyoko looked at the stars as if she wanted them to answer her, how she ended up in that dangerous situation. Sparkling dots in the sky seemed to relieve her stress level and the pain that she was experiencing. The wind was howling forcefully, making her shiver thanks to the sudden coldness. She didn't take her coat with her, since she hadn't known that she would spend the night in the dark forest. But the worst part of it was a fear itself. Kyoko started her ghost hunting adventure in a small group. Now she was all alone, waiting for her friends to come back with the rescue team or something like that. She didn't want to think what would happen, if they didn't find her.

The sky showed her the most beautiful night performance that could be played by the nature. While the most spectacular meteor shower mostly came to an end, Kyoko could still experience the last Perseids. The shooting star made her think about her dreams. 'I saw it, so I should make a quick wish, right?' Being rescued and saved seemed neat, but her heart whispered something different. 'I want to act. I don't have to become a real actress, I just want to act.'

She closed her eyes, trying to dissolve her concerns and fears. Kyoko was taking part in a play. This small thing could charge her batteries with a pure happiness til the end of her life. She wondered what it would be like to be a real actress. 'The eternal blessing doesn't sound so distant any more.' She wanted to open her eyes, but her body didn't listen to her. Every single muscle told her to fall asleep, to rest for a moment. Kyoko found no energy to struggle with that desire. She felt her conscious slowly drifting away.

Three hours earlier she was with the whole group. Everyone seemed to be confused, except for the teachers. 'Were they plotting this action from the very beginning?' Kyoko couldn't believe. Even with her skills to deal with the confidential information, she wasn't sure, if she was able to keep it a secret. Kanae was more than annoyed. She knew that a lack of sleep could be disastrous for her complexion, not to mention the concentration whatsoever. The forthcoming audition was so important to her that she forgot about enjoying her trip.

Kyoko, on the other hand, decided to have as much fun as possible. Her previous plan failed and she couldn't make her dream, slumber party, so spending more time with her friends seemed alluring. "OK everyone. We're gonna split up in a few small groups. Each of a team will get a one map. You're to find a spot in the forest, where we hid our surprise. But you must be aware of the ghosts!" Kouki explained cheerfully.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You must give me your mobile phones." He heard some complains. "There's no exception. If we let you keep them, some of you might use a GPS and cheat. It would be no fun at all.", "But what if something bad happens? We would not be able to contact anyone." Kanae asked. "Don't worry. There is no way to get lost here. Ghost will guide you!" Kouki made some spooky noise, causing some of the boys to laugh.

"You seem to be in a good mood, so let's get started! First, we need to create some teams." And so he let Kyoko and Uneki to be in the same one unceremoniously. Kanae sensed a danger, so she shouted quickly. "I'm going with Kyoko!" Kouki tried his best not to sigh. It was predictable, yet he hoped that she would allow him to fulfil his plan. "Of course you can go together, but in this case we must make your group smaller." he explained. "Why though?" she asked. 'Yes, Kouki. Why exactly?' he questioned himself. Then he realised that he just didn't want to make everything easy for her. 'If she wants to interfere, I must make sure that there won't be anyone else, who would help her with it.', "No reason." Kouki smiled seeing her pale expression.

The ghost hunting started. Uneki took over control and the map. Feeling quite uncomfortable with Kyoko next to him, he concentrated on the paths selected on an outline. Girls followed him silently. They walked around for about twenty minutes, when Kanae stopped suddenly. "We may have a problem.", "What's wrong Moko-san?" Kyoko was worried. "It's just… I need to go to the toilet. Azuma-san, you planned this trip. Is there any place, where I can go now?" He shook his head. "I wasn't told about it til the very end. I'm sorry, but I cannot help you now.", "There is only a one way to solve it." said Kyoko and looked at the bushes. "You don't mean… NO! Heck, no! I'm not gonna go there!" Kanae protested. "You may have no other choice."

And so Kotonami-san walked away, while fighting with her inner demons. Ten minutes passed and she still hadn't returned. "I'm getting worried. I should look for her." proposed Kyoko. "No way! I will go.", "You can't!", "Why? Give me at least one reason.", "I'm a girl." Uneki blushed. "That's a good point." Not feeling well about it, he let her go and look for their friend.

What they couldn't predict was that one of the students dressed as a ghost decided to scare Kyoko. She saw a white silhouette in the distance and forgetting about thinking, she run away. Her ankle hurt, but she was too scared to care. Unfortunately, Kyoko didn't notice a branch, cropping out from the ground. She tripped, falling down exactly on her hurt leg. She cried from the pain, unable to move. She wanted to take her phone, but then she realised that she had given it back to Kouki. And it was only getting colder and colder… .

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I really enjoyed writing it ;). It may not be as good as the chapter 47, but still… . I hope you liked it as well, had a great day and see you soon~!**


	56. Nothing left but pray

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 56

Nothing left but pray

Trying to convince her body that she was actually feeling OK, she slowly opened her eyes. Kyoko couldn't tell the time. Did she fall asleep a minute ago or an hour ago? She didn't really care. Somehow the darkness and the coldness made her apathetic. Looking impassively at her surrounding, she thought about her situation. Kouki warned them that they may see some ghosts in the forest. 'It was fake, of course.' She realised, feeling the first real emotion, since she had woken up. Embarrassment. Her chilled cheeks started to warm up thanks to the small blush. Then she noticed that she was cold. Her whole body stiffened and she felt some shivers, as she was trying to move her leg a little. "It's summer. The temperature is too high to get a hypothermia. But what concerns me is the wind." Kyoko hugged herself, trying not to lose any heat. It was really cold outside.

Uneki was loosing his mind. Only two minutes after Kyoko's disappearance, Kanae got back safe and sound. Her face was a little more red than usually, but he didn't think about it much, since she came there alone. "Where is Kyoko?" Kotonami-san asked, but she already knew that they were in big trouble. She predicted it, when she asked about keeping their mobile phones. "Wait, don't answer. Just tell me, which direction she took." Uneki scratched his head, looking away. "I don't know… but I'm sure that she followed you, since she wanted to find you." he explained. "And you just casually let her go on her own? For Kami's sake! Men are really useless!", "Wait! That's not true..." he stopped, when he saw her expression.

"OK, we have to make a plan quickly. She may be in a dangerous situation now, so there's no time to waste. I'm gonna go this way and look for her, while you will take a map and come back to the starting point to notify the rest about the emergency." ordered him Kanae. "Get some help." she added. "No way! I won't let you go alone!" he disagreed. "Oh, so _now_ you won't let a girl go alone?! I can't even find any words for you!" And so she run towards the place, she has just came back from. "Women." mumbled Uneki, but in the end he followed Moko-san's lead.

He found the spot in the map quickly and so he got there. Uneki could not remember anything about his route, since it was not his body, but his mind that had guided him the whole way. Luckily for him, Kouki was still in the same place. He hurried towards him and explained everything in about two seconds. "Wait, wait! Slow down a little. I can barely understand a thing you say. Take some breaths.", "We don't have time! Kyoko's lost!" he shouted, unaware that had called her by her first name. "What are you talking about?! How long is she missing?" his brother calmed down fast enough. Uneki looked at his clock. "Around half an hour now.", "OK. I'm to call all of the ghosts to look for her."

That sentence sounded very stupid, but Uneki was in a horrible mental state, so he didn't mind at all. "How can you call them?" Kouki only showed him the contents of his pockets. He had a walkie-talkie in his left one and a mobile phone in the other. "Security, duh?" Kouki smiled a little, even though that the situation was not fun at all. "Please Kami, save us all!" sighed Uneki sarcastically.

Kyoko was feeling slightly better. Fear sure drained a lot of energy from her body, but the more she moved the more control she gained. That innocent nap could not end up as an innocent one. She shuddered grudgingly. 'This summer is really cold.' She made up her mind. She could not stay there motionless. Kyoko slowly touched her leg to estimate the damage that has been made by her accidentally. Unexpectedly her ankle looked pretty normal. Yes, it hurt, but it was not as bad as it seemed. 'OK. I may be able to walk a little.' And so she made a few steps, slowly, but steadily getting closer to the end of the forest.

"Good news. I got an info from one of the ghosts, who saw her alone. It looks like he scared her, so she run away." Kouki announced. "That idiot! Wasn't it suspicious that she was alone?" Uneki didn't even try to hide his anger. "I thought the same, but it seems like he saw Kotonami-san alone as well, so he thought that it was a part of your strategy.", "Yes, splitting up in the dark forest in the middle of the night with only one map. Sounds genius!" Uneki growled as he run towards the place, where he was given directions to.

Step by step. Then a short break. Another two steps. Deep breath. She bit her lips, trying to hide her scream, when she made a bad move and her leg burned with pain. Then Kyoko realised that she shouldn't have been quiet, since she wanted to be found. Accumulating all of her energy, she started to call for help. Her voice was weak at the very beginning, but soon it was heard in a big part of the forest. Kyoko smiled a little. She would not give up.

Uneki and Kouki were in the right place, but they didn't find her. "Could it be a false information?" doubted the second one. "If that's the truth, I'm gonna kill that ghost!" declared Uneki. "Or she might have moved." Kouki guessed. "I really hope that's the case. It would mean that her state is stable.", "I hope so too." And they came back to searching the forest.

Her batteries run out of power. She sat down, unable to make another step. 'Kami-sama, please, let them find me quickly.' Kyoko prayed in her mind. The unwanted tears fell down, when she saw a dark silhouette in the distance. She could recognise it, even if she was sleeping.

"Moko-san!"

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I just noticed that one of my favourite authors on this website was following my story for a long time now. I cannot stop smiling like a fool. Still, it's totally worth it. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	57. Playing with fire

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 57

Playing with fire

She wasn't aware of the fact that people had actually been worried about her. When she thought about the possible scenario, she imagined that the other teams would search for a treasure and if found, they would eventually start looking for her. So, needless to say, Kyoko was quite shocked, when she saw the rescue team, consisted of her whole group and all the teachers.

The relieved sighs was quickly outshouted by the concerned questions. Kouki insisted on calling the ambulance, but Kyoko refused doggedly. She told them that she was feeling right as rain and to prove it, she showed them her ankle. They couldn't compare it to her previous state, so most of them gave up. But not Uneki. He ended up giving some orders. Soon, Kyoko's small wound was being treated and someone even gave her a thermal blanket, just in case.

She felt ashamed a little, being in a centre of attention thanks to her carelessness once again. "In this rate, your leg will never get better." joked Kouki, accidentally striking home in Kyoko's mind. "Did it sound rude? I hope I didn't offend you." he quickly added, looking at her expression. "No, it's not like that! I'm deeply sorry for the inconvenience." she bowed, feeling more and more guilty.

Then she sensed somebody patting her back. "Don't worry. It was our fault that we could not provide you with the safety." smiled sadly Uneki. "Don't..." started Kouki, but his brother glared at him, sending this kind of message that could be only passed along between people blood related. 'It's not fair. He shouldn't put the blame on himself. He didn't know about my plan.' Kouki sighed, feeling that Naoko would not be proud of him. He really needed her more than he had thought.

Uneki somehow understood Kyoko's emotions and ordered his brother to take them back to the hotel. The group sounded relieved. "Don't be like that!" falsely complained the older brother. "I put so much effort in that mission and you all failed!" Nobody really cared, but Kanae had that weird sense of duty to comfort him. "What was the treasure after all?" she asked politely, proud of herself that she managed to show some enthusiasm at that hour. "It was… drum roll please… that useless keyboard!" he shouted, scaring some small animals in the forest. Some people giggled and Kotonami-san stopped feeling obligated.

Everyone slept like a log and only the most persevering ones woke up at the scheduled time. Kouki was one of them, since he was the main organiser of that trip. Unexpectedly Kyoko was there as well. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, surprised at her appearance. "Yes, the same as always." she answered cheerfully. "Where are the others?" she looked around to see only a few of her classmates. "Sleeping, probably. I actually predicted this, so the morning classes today are not very important. But I'm really glad that you showed up, so as a reward I will help you with your role." And so the small group spent another two hours practising their dialogues. Then the rest joined them and they ate a late breakfast together.

They planned a short trip to the town that day and Kyoko was overexcited. She enjoyed every single place and was taking a picture of every single tourist attraction. Her happiness was contagious and soon she made a photo with everyone in her group and with some strangers (she wasn't sure why, but she was content with that fact). Hesitating a little, she sent MMS to Sho. His answer came back quickly. "Wow." It encouraged her to send more and soon Sho's mailbox was full of her messages, making him turn off his phone. Kyoko couldn't help it, since that whole trip looked like a high school one. Missing that important part of her life, she felt as if someone gave it back to her.

She ate lunch with her room mates in a traditional Japanese restaurant. Tasting the delicious food, she proposed her dreamed-of slumber party. The other two girls didn't seem convinced, especially after pulling an all-nighter. But the one, who made the final decision was Kanae. She still felt a little guilty about the previous event, so she agreed dissatisfied. Kyoko's excitement hit the highest level and she was hyperactive the whole day.

They came back to their hotel to have a short rehearsal, which went well enough. Then the group had two more free hours to spend. Kyoko came back to the beach and enjoyed the last rays of the sun. She took a photo of a sun set and sent it to Sho, who was quiet since the first message. Mogami-san tried not to think about it and she succeed. There were too many attractions to be sad about some pointless things. Her class spent the evening together at the camp fire. Kyoko was even able to convince Moko-san to eat a sausage as well (she was on a never ending diet). When it was dark enough, they played with the sparklers. All of those memories Kyoko would cherish in her heart for a long time.

Most of the people came back to their beds straight after these events, but Kanae promised something and she didn't plan to chicken out. The slumber party turned out to be not as bad as she had predicted. It wasn't long and Kyoko was satisfied with some innocent gossiping and eating snacks. Girls noticed that Akemi knew a lot of things about their classmates. Something in her behaviour reminded them of Naoko, but it was just an accident, right?

The three of them fall asleep quickly. The only one that had some difficulties with drifting away was Kyoko. Tomorrow would be her first live performance and she planned to do her best. Whenever she closed her eyes, she would see herself on that wooden stage, facing the audience as if it was the most natural thing in her life. 'It's too perfect to come true.'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! So many people followed my story yesterday and today! I'm so grateful! Thank you everyone for all of your support! If it wasn't for you, this story would have only 10 chapters or so. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	58. Enough to lose your head

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any it's characters.**

Chapter 58

Enough to lose your head

It was a late afternoon and everyone worked hard so as to prepare the stage for the play. Since they seemed to accomplish some kind of advancement, while playing their roles, they had some time to make it more visually friendly. Kanae's hands were covered in a paint and Kyoko was trying to set the lights. She enjoyed some nice chatter with other classmates in order not to think about the play. Kyoko didn't want to admit it, but she was getting more and more stressed. She treated it as her début on stage. Disappointing anyone, who trusted her, was the last thing that she wanted to do.

They had a quick lunch and then headed back to the hotel to change into their costumes. The play was set in a contemporary times, so there was not a problem to find some adequate outfits. The truth difficulty was the make-up. Kyoko, having no experience whatsoever, needed a help from another classmate, leaving that person with less time for herself. However her co-actors were really nice and no one ever complained about the whole situation.

Mogami-san smiled a little. She was to become a part of the most touching story, that she had heard of. Kyoko would play as someone close to Kanae – the rest of the plot seemed irrelevant. The main goal of Kouki, who was the author of the scenario, was to create a show, where everyone can show their strengths and most importantly – to have fun. He could teach them how to act, but learning how to enjoy doing it was something that could only be achieved by the actor himself.

The story was about chasing dreams, despite the obstacles. Kanae, the main female lead, was playing a young and ambitious medicine student, who was having difficulties with paying the loan. She was left alone at the age of six, when her mother passed away. Kanae slightly doubted that she would be able to act like someone without a huge family, but somehow she managed to do it properly during the rehearsals.

On the other hand, Kyoko would play a part of a common passer-by, who had an accident on their way to work. Her leg would be broken and Kanae's character would be the one to do her a first aid. After that Kyoko promised to herself she would encourage her defender and help her as much as she could. It was obvious that she loved that part the most. 'It's like I'm a fairy, who once being saved by the human, shows it's eternal blessing his brave saviour!' Her eyes sparkled and it was easy for her to perform the task the way it was planned – she just needed to be herself.

The male, main actor would play a man, Kanae would eventually become the love of his life. The story had a lot of subplots, giving everyone a chance to shine on the stage. One person was singing, the other dancing some ballet, making their performance more lively and joyful. Everything was going smoothly and they were sure that the play would end up as a success. They could not predict what was to happen.

There was half an hour til the curtain's raising and most of the places in the tribunes were already occupied. Everyone tried to hide their stress. Kouki decided to release the pressure, since it was one of a main factors, that lead actors to mistakes. "Hey, attention please!" he shouted. "First of all, I want to thank all of you for choosing our courses and treating them seriously. I had said it once, but I will repeat myself. You're my favourite group. Don't tell the others tho!" he made everyone laugh or giggle.

"Secondly, no matter what happens there, remember that you worked hard for it and there is no need to feel bad about slips. They happen even to professionals, so don't worry too much." He looked dramatically at the group. "Please, help the others, when they fail. That's the biggest secret about being a true actor. Or so I think." Kouki smiled foolishly.

"And the last, but not least. Enjoy your time there!" he pointed the stage. "You may never know how much time you have in the spotlight. Sometimes it's only five minutes, sometimes the whole life. By the way, I wish you the latter. Coming back to the main topic, I know that all of you dream of becoming someone else and creating a convincing character. That's what makes us the actors. That's what gives us the purpose in our lives. That's what makes us happy. Don't you ever forget about it!" Kouki had a serious expression on his face.

"There is not much time left. Do your best! And know that we're proud of you all!" Uneki smiled as well. "I know that you are tense now." he started. "Every showman has his own way to overbear his demons. You have your chance to discover your method. But if you have no idea at all what to do, just imagine the things that make you happy. Good luck!" Uneki bowed and backed off. Kyoko decided to follow him. "Uneki-san wait for me!" she rushed and found him in the other part of the backstage.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked concerned. "No, not this time." she giggled. "You've just said that everyone has their own tactic to deal with the stress. What is yours?" Uneki laughed lightly. "It's not an extraordinary one, but I like listening to the music. It makes me feel the way my character feels, so it's useful I guess." he blushed a little. "Sounds nice. I wish I could hear something nice now." Kyoko confessed. "I can help you with it." And without a hesitation he gave her his MP3 player.

She heard a song about chilling out, sang by some English speaking singer. His voice was so high that normally it would hurt her ears, but somehow he made that song light and encouraging. Kyoko looked at Uneki and showed her thumbs up. Then she found Kanae and asked her: "Are you ready?" Her friend answered: "More than ever.", "So, let's go." And the curtains raised.

 **AN/ Ugh… the story progress is sooo slow! I planned to end this filler today and… you know the rest. Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	59. Got everyone clapping

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 59

Got everyone clapping

The curtains raised and Kanae stood in the centre of the stage, looking at some papers with concerned face. Some envelopes were lying down on the floor, opened in a big rush. The place was lit by two lamps. The girl was reading loudly about her delays in paying her debt. She opened her wallet to see only few yens left. Kanae asked herself what to do, when the lights went off. "Great. They cut the power off." She sighed and lay down on the floor.

The floodlight spotlit the stage again, signalising the next day. Kanae got up and prepared for the day. Just the size of her breakfast showed how poor she was. Still, she had headed to her workplace to earn some money, before her lessons started. The look on her face reminded Kyoko her life, before Sho's proposal. She didn't like it at all.

Then there was a moment for Kyoko to bump into Kanae, say sorry and run away. Kouki played the sound of the car suddenly braking. Mogami-san fall down as if she was hit by the vehicle. Kanae rushed towards her and treated her quickly. "I owe you my life! Please, tell me what can I do to help you!", "Just don't run into any cars, OK?" Kyoko bowed, as much as she could with her leg broken and bid Kanae goodbye. Then she took her phone. "Please, find me some information about someone I've just met."

Kyoko went to the backstage and stayed there during the most of the play. She had only two scenes more, one of them really dramatic. She was getting mentally prepared, when Uneki approached her. "It's almost your time. Are you ready?", "Yes, of course!" And so she came back to the place, where she felt like her true self.

The next part of a performance was about Kanae's feelings towards a young man. They talked a little in front of Kyoko and the other actress, playing as a shopkeeper. Afterwards the actor went back to the backstage and it was that girl's moment to ask: "How long are you going out together? Oh, to be so in love!" But she didn't say it. She froze with her eyes wide opened. The only thing she could do was to mumble some unrecognisable words. However Kyoko was able to understand one: _forgot._

Kyoko giggled to cover her co-actress's fault. The attention was brought back to her and she cursed in mind. 'What now?' Her character was not the sharpest tool in the shed and coming to a conclusion about them being together was beyond her abilities. She smiled widely and said: "Wasn't it the doctor, who helped me the last time? He's so handsome!" And so she hugged the poor shopkeeper. "But I guess we're too old for him!" When she was close to her partner, she whispered quietly their text. Kanae at the same time covered it, sighing: "Is that so?".

"Yes. How long are you going out together? Oh, to be so in love!" the play came back to it's natural state to everyone's relief. Luckily that girl didn't have any more speech, so she could run away quickly. When there was a ten-minute break, she bowed deeply and apologised for the inconvenience. "Don't worry. Mogami-san and Kotonami-san got you covered." Uneki laughed a little. "Thank you girls." At the same time Akemi was making a phone call. "Where are you now? The show is about to end soon!"

Kyoko had few more minutes, before her big part. She was to run towards Kanae to tell her the truth about the man she loved. In the previous scene there was a misunderstanding and she broke up with him. Now, it was Kyoko's turn to repay her debt. It was dramatic, since her leg was broken. The emotions on her face must have shown a serious fear and determination. Kyoko didn't feel like that. No matter how hard she tried, she was too stress to convey those feelings.

She stayed in the middle of the stage, lost, when she saw someone waving at her. She recognised that person right away. Kyoko smiled in her mind and decided to do her best. Pain, fear, determination, tenacity. It was no longer a problem to show it. The play ended spectacular and the audience erupted with a long applause. All of the actors bowed, but Kyoko could not wait any more. She run towards Naoko and hugged her tightly. "Saito-san!"

The other actors were not left behind. They rushed and hugged Naoko as well. Everyone laughed and smiled. Naoko could feel some tears growing in her eyes. She rubbed them quickly and then she saw the one she missed the most. Kouki was looking at her with mixed feelings. He was enormously happy to have her back, but at the same time he became unusually shy. 'Why am I like that?' He could not understand. But when he noticed the look in her eyes, he knew that he was in the right place.

When they were finally alone, he said: "Um… Mogami-san… is getting married soon. I didn't tell you about it, because it's a secret and…" He realised that he had made a mistake. "You thought that I would tell everyone about it?" She seemed to be sad. "No! It's not like that, it's just… . Please, let me start this conversation once more.", "Go ahead." Naoko smiled a little.

"Mogami-san is getting married and I wondered, if you would like… no, want… no like… ugh, it's not going well!" She giggled a little. "Why are you so scared? You sound as if you wanted to propose to me or something." Naoko wouldn't oppose it. "No! I just… do you want to go there as… my partner… I mean, plus-one, of course!?", "Yes!" And she hugged him. "Thank Kami! When Mogami-san first suggested it, I was so petrified that you would reject her idea, that…", "Oh, so it was her idea?" She could not hide her disappointment. But then she smiled again. "I'd love to go there with you." She still had a chance to win his heart.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! The beach episode(s) ended! Now, I'm gonna speed thins up a little, so stay with me, please! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	60. Looking for an axe to grind

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 60

Looking for an axe to grind

He closed his eyes, trying to isolate his fears and stress from his mind. He concentrated on the scenario, on his character and on his feelings, but everything seemed not be right. Uneki sighed and looked at the curtains once more. When they raise, he will become someone else. He will share his feelings and he will impress the one, he wanted to impress the most. Or so he was telling himself. His own encouragements didn't work, so he decided to use his last trick. Uneki took his MP3 player and started to look for some adequate songs.

Sadly, no piece conveyed the right emotions. The play was about hatred, intransigence and revenge. Popular music these days focused on love, happiness and parties. Uneki found his MP3 player useless. He was to throw it away, when he noticed someone approaching him. "What are you doing here? Authorised personnel only is allowed to be here." His brother smiled. "I know those people longer than you do, however you are in better relations with them, I guess." Kouki examined Uneki closely. "It's no good."

"You didn't answer. What are you doing here? The show is about to start.", "I know, I know." muttered Kouki. "But I wanted to see my little brother before his big performance! Especially when his beloved one watches him!", "Oh, stop it now!" Uneki looked around to see that luckily no other co-actor heard that statement. "Is she really there?" Kouki smiled slyly. "Of course. In the first row with Kotonami-san, Naoko and the other students, who wanted to see you. I feel like the half of the audience knows you already." he stopped for a moment to observe his brother once more. "It's really no good."

"What's so wrong?" asked Uneki, slightly annoyed. The play was about to start. He really didn't have any time to waste on anyone. "Your attitude. You're not in your character yet." Kouki sighed. "I know it well enough. I just don't feel angry at all. And I should be furious and mad now.", "How about some songs?" proposed Kouki. "I don't have a proper one." His brother smiled craftily once more. "I think I have something appropriate."

Uneki was alone with Kouki's mobile phone and the earphones. He didn't know, whether believe his brother or not, but he had no other choice. He pressed a play button, without looking at the screen and the title. Then it hit him. He recognised his voice. Uneki heard it not only in the radio, but in person about few months ago. His mind reminded him that day – Uneki sitting in the room, hiding from the people, who just came there. Kyoko's voice as she forgave that bastard leaving her alone in the night.

That douchebag, Fuwa Sho. Singing a song about love. Or more like a song about passion, desire and lust. Uneki saw it. Sho kissing Kyoko, taking her to his room, making her his. The anger inside his heart erupted. That brainless singer seeing Kyoko in a situation, that only Uneki should see her. Sho's voice was like a poison for his soul. 'Maybe more like an acid?' he thought bitterly. It was dissolving all of his positive emotions. He wasn't himself or so he thought. Perhaps he was himself, but the worst side of him was dominating right now, turning him into a monster.

'Holy Kami! Kouki knew what he was doing!' His madness almost blinded him. Uneki wanted to hit that guy. Make him regret being born into this world. Touching Kyoko. Breathing. Fortunately, he wasn't there, so he was safe for the time being. 'I don't know what I will do during her wedding.' But his mind presented him some alluring ideas, well… mostly painful ones.

One of the staff members saw him in that state and she was truly scared for a second. 'He must be in a character, right?' She slowly approached him, looking at him carefully as if he was to attack her, when she wasn't alert. "Azuma-san, it's time." He bowed quickly and the expression on his face change a little. 'I'm ready.' he realised.

He walked into the stage with murderous look in the eyes. Uneki saw his fiancée with another man in an unambiguous position in his bed. He shouted, threw some objects and lost his mind. The audience was astonished by his behaviour. Uneki looked as if he wanted to kill someone. Literally. Some of the people in the first rows were actually frightened.

But not Kyoko. She observed admirably her teacher, who showed the best acting she had ever experienced. The whole performance was magnificent, but Uneki's parts were the most excellent ones. When the show ended, the audience gave him long standing ovations. He smiled widely and looked directly at Kyoko. She bowed a little, expressing her enchantment. Uneki didn't think for a second and winked at her understandingly. Kyoko blushed deeply, but smiled back.

She was more than mesmerized. The performance made her feel uneasy at the beginning. She somehow understood the main character, a truly mad person. It caused her to think more about her emotions. Somewhere deep inside her heart, she was angry. Kyoko did not know why though. But those feeling were true and watching Uneki play it so convincingly cheered her up a little.

It was only one and half of a month before her wedding. Not so long ago it sounded very unrealistically. It was mainly Naoko's fault. When she heard the news, she started to ask Kyoko so many questions that she began to doubt, if it was only her wild imagination. But the time flew by and Sho didn't change his mind. Not wanting to admit it to herself, she was scared of the future.

But it was not the proper time to be sad or feared. She saw her friend's success and she was content that she was able to watch it. The theatre was wonderful and full of splendor. Kyoko found herself comfortable in that fairy-tale-like place. For a second, but only for a second, she dreamt of acting here as a true actress. Then she shook her head violently. It was not the proper time to have her head in the clouds.

 **AN/ Aaand… the fillers end now! Finally, I want to add. I was avoiding it, but it's a high time to speed things up and break some hearts (mostly yours and mine). I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	61. Hang around for the champagne toast

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 61

Hang around for the champagne toast

Looking at the ceiling in her old room reminded her of her childhood. Starting from the most painful memory of her mother leaving her, ending with her rushing packing up, when she was to leave her asylum for Sho. But Kyoko didn't forget about everything in between. Having a normal youth despite growing up without parents. Receiving important lessons and skills that helped her a lot. She was grateful to be raised by Fuwa family and to become a formal part of it the next day.

The next day. It sounded so surreal. It was almost half of a year since Sho's proposal, but she still wasn't used to that situation at all. "Fuwa Kyoko." Few years ago it was only a dream, a distant one in addition. Now, that she was having her last night as a miss, she realised how fast time had flown by. Kyoko was still young, yet she decided to spend the rest of her life with her childhood friend. It didn't sound wrong to her.

"Kyoko-chan! Can you go downstairs?" She quickly shook her head as she heard Sho's mother voice. She was the main organiser of the next day's party. Not only making her wedding kimono, taking care of the invitations (and postponing the ceremony after Kyoko's "accident"), but also getting the right documents from Mogami Saena was her feat.

Kyoko had a chance to ask Okami-san about the last one, but she remained silent. Her mother didn't care much about her, so why she should do the opposite towards her? But somewhere deep inside her heart, she knew that she wanted her to acknowledge and accept her. Getting perfect grades, listening to the elders and respecting other people. Long time ago she had believed that those three factors could change Saena's emotions. 'If only it was this easy though.'

She walked down the stairs gracefully, totally aware of the judgemental look in Okami-san's eyes. The girl didn't want to show that all these lessons with her had gone to waste. She glanced at Sho's mother to see her approval. Kyoko heaved a sigh of relief and bowed deeply. Her leg was more than OK and she could finally walk like a normal person. It was important to her, since her dreamt up day was coming closer.

Next to Okami-san sat down Kanae and Naoko. Both girls enjoyed their stay, since they had come there a week earlier to spend some time with Kyoko (and to make sure she really wanted that wedding). Sadly, Mogami-san didn't have a lot of time for them. Ever since she got to the ryokan, she was working there as if she wanted to make up for her escape from home. Sho's parents didn't force her to do so, but she felt obliged anyway.

Sho's mother was carefully holding a big box. Every women in that room seemed to be excited about the mystery hidden in that carton. Kyoko gulped. She knew what was inside. Okami-san looked at her worried expression and questioned in mind her decision once more. 'Maybe I'm rushing things up to fast? She's still sixteen… well close to seventeen, but still… . Did I make a mistake? But I can't let Sho loose that girl. He won't find a better one and I'm sure that soon some rivals will appear. If they hadn't appeared already.' Lost in thoughts, she slowly opened the box.

In Japan there are two colours that represented purity: white and red. It wasn't surprising that those two colours were at the same time the most popular ones during the weddings. Kyoko always preferred the white kimono, but she didn't share her opinion with Sho's mother. Somehow she found red more appropriate for her. Kyoko decided not to complain. The fabric was very delicate. With some white and powder pink flower ornaments, it looked like it was sewed for a princess, not an ordinary girl like Kyoko. She could feel some tears in the corners of her eyes. The girl quickly rubbed it and tried that magnificent dress on.

She enjoyed that time, but also she tried to hide her disappointment. Kyoko always dreamt of a western style wedding, but the marriage itself was the most important part of it. She should be glad that she had a chance to become Sho's wife. Other trifles were unimportant. However Naoko and Kanae noticed that she was acting quite stiff. The moment they were alone, they attacked her with questions, whether she had changed her mind. She disclaimed their speculations, but they were so niggling that Kyoko gave up and spilled the beans.

"I… wanted to have a Christian chapel ceremony. It sounds so wrong, as if I was ungrateful. Please, don't tell anyone about it!" Both girls looked at each other and they soon knew how to deal with that situation. "Kyoko-chan! Let's dress up nicely!" Naoko smiled, mostly because of her innocent change of addressing her friend. "Why?" Mogami-san was suspicious. "We're gonna have a hen night!" she shouted cheerfully. "What?" But her question was ignored, when her friends chose a perfect outfit for her.

Soon they were in the centre of the town, chatting and laughing, making Kyoko feel truly happy. They decided to go to the karaoke bar. They discovered that none of them could sing, so they giggled even more during the whole evening. Then Naoko proposed to go to the real bar. "We're non of age." Kanae rejected the idea. "Oh, come on! I can buy you some drinks! What do we have to loose?", "Common sense, for example?" Kanae mumbled. Kyoko smiled honestly. She loved looking at her friends, hoping that their relation would not change after her wedding.

Feeling more than tired, Mogami-san wanted to go back home. With Moko-san's approval, they outvoted Naoko, who was still whining silently. Kyoko said her goodbyes to her friends and walked into her room. It was happening. Her dream case scenario. But before she finally fall asleep, she had mumbled a sad cry. "I wish you were here, Corn."

 **AN/ Does it count as a filler…? Oh, hello everyone! Today I felt like learning some new, fun facts about Japan and wedding traditions are indeed interesting! I feel like you're gonna kill me soon, so I enjoy my life as long as I can xP. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	62. Taking space up in heads

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 62

Taking space up in heads

Kanae was touching up her make-up, when the door were opened with a force. She raised her head to see Naoko with uneasy look on her face. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm stronger than I look like." she faked a smile, but no one was really convinced. "Are you ready? We need to go and check, if Kyoko is looking perfect."As much as she hated the idea of wedding and marriage whatsoever, she decided to make sure that her friend would get the best kind of ceremony.

"About that… shouldn't we stop her?" Naoko whispered, scared of her own words. "I don't know her as well as you do and I don't know the reason of that event either, but don't you think it's too early? I mean… she haven't even drunk alcohol before. Doing it during the wedding day for the first time seems just wrong." She ended her speech and felt a strange urge to run away, before anyone say anything.

"I… agree." Moko-san confessed. "I'm against her decision, but she's not willing to give it up. Did you see the way Okami-san looked at her? It feels like she's the part of the family already." She sighed. Never before had she ever thought that she would find a friend. Attending her wedding so quickly was just like a complete new level of relationship. "It bother me as well. Speaking about the look in the eyes. I don't like that Fuwa Sho. He should treasure her more. I feel like it's all just some misunderstanding." Naoko said angrily.

Both girls feared about their friend's future. The timing was bad, the fiancé fake and all signs from the universe screamed to stop Kyoko. But there were no right words to express that terror. They remained silent for a few moments, when Kanae made up her mind. "So, we've got two options. First one – we just interfere and stop her, before she ruins her life. You know the risk involved in this possibility. Second one, we act as if we were happy and let her decide on her own. This time, Kyoko is the one risking… her life, pretty much." Kanae and Naoko looked at each other, fighting with their thoughts.

Uneki straightened his tie. He didn't feel like wearing traditional, Japanese costume. Luckily for him, Sho's mother approved his choice. Uneki found himself intimidated, when she was in sight. She looked as if she was trying to memorise every inch of his body and evaluate it's worth. That woman was not a foolish one. She quickly noticed they way he stared at Kyoko. Seeing someone as a threat to it's precious son could make anyone an enemy. But if she felt that way indeed, she hid it perfectly.

He was to leave his room, when he heard some silent knocks. He sighed and sat down on a chair, when he answered: "Please, come in." He wasn't surprised to see his brother. Actually, he was waiting for him to appear. Uneki was still quite mad at Kouki, since he had heard that ghost hunting was his idea to get his brother and Kyoko together. 'She could have been hurt.' Forgiving him was not an easy task.

"Sorry for intruding. I just wanted to check, if you are still sane and you are not, for example, killing her future husband." Kouki joked, but only the corners of his mouth were lifted up a little. "It would be a good pun, if I wasn't considering it the last few months. Please, don't tell me his location, because I may not be able to resist." His brother shook head. "At least you're honest with me. I should just leave you alone for now, but it's bugging me. Are you planning to destroy the ceremony, confess and run away with her?"

Uneki looked as if he was really considering it. Then he stared at his shoes. "I'd love to do so, but I can't. It would break her heart.", "So you're letting her break yours instead? I don't recognise you." Kouki didn't like his brother's choice. "It's better this way. I want her happiness. Mine is not so important. I'm sorry, but I'm expected downstairs. See you there." And he left the room quickly.

Kouki looked around, trying to find a solution. Then he sighed deeply. "He really loves her." he muttered. At the same time he was agonising, while thinking about Uneki's pain and he was content that his sibling had finally grew up to become able to love again. 'But why did he choose an engaged girl?' Some questions could never be answered.

Walking gracefully in her red kimono. Looking at her friends, who smiled. Being too stressed to notice that those smiles were not honest. Watching carefully her future parents-in-law. Making sure that she steps slowly. Not stumbling and falling down. Her brain was giving her some simple commands and she listened to them as if she was a robot. Somehow, she really felt like a one.

Not observing Sho. Not staring at Sho. Not looking at him. Not glancing as well. Somewhere in her heart was a place, where all her fears were gathering. And one of them was that Sho would not be glad. That he may not like what he sees. Those doubts were killing her slowly, but she decided to avoid the final blow. Not today. She was ready to lie to herself.

Standing next to her childhood friend, who happened to be her first love. Ignoring that weird, single tear in a corner of her eye. She was doing well. Drinking sake. Three cups, three times, three sips. Her body worked automatically as if she had some experience with drinking alcohol. Three deep breaths. Not obligatory, but indeed needed.

Doubting.

It was not planned. Her eyes widened and her voice started to sound shaky. She could not let that happen. No one should see her like that.

Closing her eyes, counting down to three, taking deep breaths, ignoring rushing thoughts.

Signing the documents.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Please, don't kill me. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	63. All in the gutter

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 63

All in the gutter

The moment she was leaning to finally sigh the marriage registration form, Uneki just left the building. As expected, Kouki followed him quickly. 'At least he's not making a scene.' Sho's mother thought bitterly. She still was not aware of the fact that she made a lot of people unhappy. The fresh breeze sure helped him a little. Uneki raised his head to look at the clouds. Paradoxically, the sky was clear. 'It's mid November and it feels like the end of the summer.' He wouldn't mind, if it was raining. The weather could hide his tears then.

Since crying was not one of his hobbies and doing it in front of his brother, who loved teasing, was out of the question, he calmed himself down. He knew that it would eventually happen. Uneki just hoped foolishly that someone would disturb the ceremony. That someone would do the thing he wanted to do, but was too scared to try. Kouki patted his backs, but he didn't respond.

There is something beautiful in siblings relations. Sometimes a man can understand his brother better then he does. This happened that day. "Flu?" Uneki didn't answer, but there was no need to do so. Kouki only wanted to confirm the official version of the events. "You know where to find me." He said and came back to spread the lie.

The wedding reception was going smoothly. Kanae made sure to become the best bridesmaid in the world. She did not let any of the guest feel alone and her acting skills convinced almost everyone. She just seemed to be enormously happy for her friend. One of the few people, who weren't fooled, was Naoko. She stopped Moko-san for a moment and asked. "How about Uneki?" She shook her head as an answer. "Official version or the true one?", "The first one." Kanae sighed. "He went back to the ryokan and packed himself. Right now, he's probably on his way back home to Tokyo."

Both girls stayed silenced for a second. "Well, I've got to go. There are still plenty things to do here." She was to leave, when Naoko's facial expression reminded her of something. "The younger Azuma-san will survive. He's too strong to do anything stupid. But I'm actually worried about his brother." She looked significantly at him. Naoko followed her glare and blushed a little. 'Busted.' Kanae smiled. She wasn't a huge fun of the emotion of love or anything like that, but she really found those two suitable for each other.

"Why don't you ask him, if he needed anything?", "Eh, why don't you go instead?" Naoko tried to resist. "Because I don't love him." Moko-san whispered, suddenly enjoying this kind of teasing. She should try it on Kyoko soon. Naoko squealed loudly, making most of the guests look at her. She bowed quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Please, don't say things like that in public!", "Oh, so you're not denying it?" Kanae could really continue this joke endlessly, but she gave up, since she had a lot of work.

Kyoko was still on autopilot mode and nothing was signalising that it would change in not so distant future. She smiled, when someone congratulated her. She laughed, when she was expected to and got closer to Sho, when he wanted some distance. Her brain refused to answer why he was behaving like that and maybe things were better this way.

The only moment his mood changed was when Shoko-san walked into the room. She could not be during the ceremony, since she had to attend the funeral of a family member at the same time. Shoko-san looked even more appealing than usually. Kyoko did the only thing her mind let her do. She greeted her cheerfully and then joined Kanae to avoid any kind of conversation. Kyoko felt bad about ignoring her, but she could not get her guards down.

Kotonami-san was more busy than Kyoko thought, so she ended up talking to her mother-in-law. "Congratulations! I'm so glad that I can finally call you my daughter!" She only smiled, unable to construct any proper answer. "Look around! The party turned out to be a rather big one!" Kyoko nodded. "Yes, unexpectedly everyone were able to come here today." Truth be told, they came mostly because they had thought that this celebration would look more like a Hollywood one. In the end, no one really minded tho. It was still a nice event and it was easy to simply enjoy it.

Then the door opened to show someone, Kyoko had never seen before. The man was probably in his early sixties, but his hair was still naturally black. He had that weird aura, as if he possessed the whole world. Kyoko wasn't sure what to think about him, so she said: "Oh, do you know him?" Okami-san nodded, not letting her eyes off him. "I don't know him, but I was expecting his appearance sooner or later, so don't mind his intrusion. He won't stay there for a long time." And so she left the girl alone and dumbfounded. Kyoko was observing as her mother-in-law greeted the unexpected guest and led him to a private room.

The thing that she didn't know was the fact that her wedding hid more mysteries than she could expect. And soon they were to be revealed.

 **AN/ Hello everyone and thank you for reading this. I really was expecting that a lot of you would drop this story, yet still it hurts (don't worry tho). So from now on, if you don't like the direction I'm taking, just give up or wait for me to write the most painful chapters ever and come back for the fluff you're waiting for. You think that there is no way for Kyoko and Ren to be together? I'm somehow glad that I made you believe it (get ready for the plot twist). Anyway! I hope you have a good day and see you soon~!**


	64. Pretend to be so jaded

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 64

Pretend to be so jaded

Her deadly gaze made him shiver unconsciously for a moment. She waited for him to look somewhere else, she wanted him to fail. However the musician had a powerful ability to fight with a pressure, so he managed to hold Kanae's stare. She sighed deeply. 'At least he has a strong personality. She may need someone like him.' Still, Kotonami-san didn't like Sho at all. He showed no interest in Kyoko, which made her wonder a lot about the reason of his proposal and marriage. 'I hope it's not some sort of scam.'

"Is there anything you want from me?" He started and brought Kanae back to the reality. She realised that she was just standing in front of him for five minutes or so. "Yes, there is." She rubbed her temple, sensing forthcoming headache. "Take care of her. As you know, she tends to get into trouble, so please, be alert." Then her gaze turned out to be even more deadly (if that was possible). "And if by any chance, you are the reason of her misfortune… well, I would not like to be in your shoes." Kanae wanted to add some more poisonous threats, but she stopped, thinking about her friend. She would not like her acting like that.

Then Moko-san turned to bid her goodbyes with Kyoko. The young bride's eyes were tearful, but she endured and decided not to cry any longer. She unlocked her happy ending. There was nothing to be sad about. But Kyoko knew the truth. That mysterious guest from earlier got interested in her friend and asked her for a short talk. Kanae kept silent, but she admitted that it was strictly business related.

Their life paths were diverging slowly. Kotonami-san was to become a famous and successful actress, there was no doubt about it. And Kyoko… she truly didn't know. She would probably remain nameless, since it was the best for Sho's career. Maybe she would come back to the Darumaya eventually… or she would stay in her apartment, doing some domestic duties over and over again. The unpleasant reflection saddened her. Some time ago she wouldn't mind that life, but now… everything seemed to be so complicated and far from her dreams.

Kyoko pulled herself together and smiled as cheerfully as she could. "I'm going to miss you so badly!" She cried, while still smiling. "Don't act like a baby, mo! It's only two weeks time. You're gonna be back sooner than you think!" Kanae didn't want to sound cheesy, so she ignored the fact that she would indeed miss her friend. Now, that she was having a chance to début, it didn't looked so perfect without Kyoko's encouragements.

Fighting her own demons, she decided to open her heart a little and she hugged her friend slightly and uncertainly. The bride hugged her back more forcefully and trusting. It was a nice scene, but a really short one, since Kanae felt uncomfortably in a completely new situation. She wasn't used to sharing her feelings. 'Don't you dare shed a tear, Kotanami Kanae!' It turned out to be challenging.

The wedding reception ended and the newly wed were saying goodbyes to the guests and family members before they went on their honeymoon. To get to their destination, they had to change planes once, since it was cheaper this way. Sho was listening to the music and looking at the window during their first flight and slept, while being in the second aircraft. Those seven hours were way too exciting for Kyoko to close her eyes, even for a bit. It was her first time flying and thanks to distance from the ground, she could imagine what it was like to be a fairy.

She was terribly petrified when the aircraft was landing tho. Due to the turbulences, it was not as pleasant as the previous one. Scared as she was, she didn't realise that she had grabbed Sho's hand, waking him up. "A..are we there?" He asked with a sleepy voice. Her heart quivered. "Yes, we're about to land." Her voice, on the other hand, was shaky and full of fear. "We're not going to die, right?" Sho joked, but it only made her feel worse. 'Kami, why girls are so complicated?'

The view was stunning and breathtaking. It was so hot there that everyone could be easily fooled that it was the beginning of the summer. Kyoko took off her jacket and took a deep breath to enjoy the new, unknown smells. The statue presenting young, beautiful woman in front of the airport was their first stop. The braid asked someone politely in English (since she was the one knowing that language well) to take them a photo. Soon, the MMS was sent to Sho's parents to reassure them that they were safe and sound.

The hotel was rather a luxurious one. The first thing that Kyoko noticed in there was was a bed… well, two beds to precise. She was somehow relieved. Trying not to think about THAT was difficult, especially during the hen night. As Kanae was taking her side, Naoko seemed to enjoy teasing her younger friend. Kyoko liked taking things slowly. She would prefer to get used to kissing Sho first.

The girl quickly unpacked them to see that Sho was already sleeping. It was a middle of the night, so she didn't even mind. Nevertheless she was still very excited. It could not be happening! She wanted to jump like a crazy and shout that loud! The victory of the love! Slightly embarrassed by her own idea, she walked on the balcony. The fresh breeze calmed her down. The following day she would start her life as a full-time wife. Just the thought made her blush a little. She smiled and fall asleep quickly, looking forward to the future.

She was definitely not ready for what was to happen the next day.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Today's chapter was sponsored by your encouraging words. The more nice things you post, the more I want to write. Honestly, I didn't plan this chapter to be this way. But then I realised how important the scene with Kanae would be for the rest of the story, so forgive me this time as well! Tomorrow is going to be so exciting, I literally can't wait! Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	65. Not such a sacrifice

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 65

Not such a sacrifice

It was probably the best way to be woken up by the sun rays slightly kissing your forehead. Kyoko smiled semi-consciously. She knew that something good had happened in her life, but still half-dreaming she could not tell what the reason of her happiness was. Slowly the images of the previous day were showing in her mind, as if Kyoko was watching a photo album. 'Album… yes, I really need a one.' She turned, wanting to fall asleep one again, but some rustle made it impossible.

Leisurely, the young girl opened her eyes. She saw a skin. A lot of skin… and muscles. Before her brain was able to proceed all of the information, her eyes were already taking some measurements. A ruler in her gaze helped her a lot and she was already thinking how to get some materials needed to create a new Sho doll. Then her mind finally woke up and she realised that she has been looking shamelessly at his naked torso. A crimson blush brightened her face, so she quickly covered it with her blanket.

Sho heard some weird noises, similar to hamster being tortured, so he turned around to see his brand new wife, acting as a huge ball of misfortune. He shook his head, trying to get rid of that image. 'She's more weird than usually.' Sho decided not to bother to ask about it. She could take care of herself on her own. "I'm going to work here, so feel free to do whatever you want." What a nice way to say that you don't want to even look at the other person.

On the other hand, he could be justified, since his "undefeated legend" started. Frustration could not only be destructive, but also inspiring if one had the abilities needed. His songs seemed to be more honest, dark and painfully sexy… or so his fans proclaimed. Sho found a way to get some benefits from his marriage and he was proud of himself. Kyoko accepted his decision to stay at home, because she really wanted to be someone, who supports it's beloved ones. So, she ate her breakfast in rush and hurried to start sightseeing.

In the hotel lobby, she was greeted gleefully: "Hafa adai!" She smiled back and said the same thing, hoping it wasn't anything like: "I want to kill you." The hotel's workers didn't seem to be offended, so she guessed that it was some kind of: "Hello!". Then she asked them in English, where the best place to visit that day was. It turned out that some of the tourist attractions were not opened on Sunday, that was why she should just head straight on the beach. It sounded nice, so she thanked them and followed their directions.

The first thing that hit her was the most beautiful and colourful mural that she had ever seen. She stopped for a moment to admire this form of art. Kyoko didn't see a lot of graffiti in Tokyo and the ones that she had noticed were somehow different. The culture of that island was cheerful and full of vigour. Just that small tourist attraction made her feel better and more freely.

Then she heard something sounding just like a waves crashing the shore. Her legs led her and soon enough her feet touched the warm and soft sand. For a second Kyoko wanted to run like an idiot and shout: "It's the ocean!" the way they do it in TV, but she managed to restrain herself. Instead, she sat down and looked at the flow, filling the coastline with water. It was so calming and there were not a lot of people, since it was an early morning, so she let herself chill out a little. And the sand was so comfy… .

It was probably the worst way to be woken up by some small children shouting in unknown language. She blocked out the noises, but it was still way to loud to fall asleep once more. It was the second time that day, when the world was telling her that it was not a time for being unconscious. Trusting the destiny, she took a short walk through the beach. Soon she found her nose slightly itchy, so she looked at her reflection in water to see a small red souvenir from the sunburn. 'My sun cream!' Kyoko totally forgot. She was heading to the hotel, when she saw some bubbles coming from the ocean.

He didn't change at all and he was totally a different from the boy in her memories at the same time. His silhouette reminded her of someone she had met not so long ago, but her mind refused to tell her who it was. Kyoko could mistake him for some stranger, but she was able to recognise that golden hair everywhere. He still didn't notice her, so she had a chance to observe his body. He was so grown-up now! Her eyes was tearful, just thinking about him being probably dead or being a figment of her imagination. Those fears were finally gone, but then a new one was born.

Would he recognise her? She was just a human, a plain and boring one in addition (or so she thought). Kyoko had her last chance to run away and avoid the disappointment. But her legs didn't move, as if they were broken again. She looked at them in panic and then made up her mind. It might be her one and only chance to talk to him. The girl would not let it pass.

He opened his eyes widely, when he noticed her. There was not a mistake – he knew her! Something in his gaze made her shiver. It felt almost as if he was reading her mind. 'Can he really do so?' She freaked out once more. Then Kyoko pulled herself together. There was only a one thing to do. 'Hello! It's me… Kyoko-chan.' Something in his face expression changed and now she was more than sure that he was able to understand her thoughts.

Without thinking any more, she just rushed towards him, shouting: "Corn!"

 **AN/ Hello everyone! This chapter is dedicated to the guest, who seems to have some bad days lately. I'm glad that this story makes you feel slightly better and remember – everything gets better! I didn't believe it when I was younger, but now I know that life can be unpredictable in the most pleasurable ways. So, cheer up! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!**

 **OMG! So many questions . ! So…:**

 **1) Writing a chapter about Dark Moon… this idea is very alluring, but will you endure a new filler? I can make it an extra chapter though... .**

 **2) No, Sho was not supposed to tell Kyoko anything about the deal with his mother, before the wedding. Everything will be explained properly, when they come back from the honeymoon.**

 **3) When will Ren be there again? I guess you already know.**

 **4) Vie Ghoul? Are you reading my mind? The last few days I was acting as a Shakespeare, asking myself: "To beagle or not to beagle?" I'm still considering it, but now that I know that some of you want this to happen, I'll probably make Sho suffer a little ;3.**

 **5) Sho is the same age as Kyoko. They were able to marry, because they had their parent's formal approval. I didn't check it myself, since I'm not the lawyer type, but I saw this happening in other fanfics, so I trusted them. I hope I wasn't mislead. (Now, I'm getting stressed xp)**

 **Oh! And the plot twist I was talking about is not this one ;P. Sadly, the real one will not appear soon.**

 **Anyway! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	66. Lost all defences

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 66

Lost all defences

Things weren't going smoothly, since he lost his role in Dark Moon. Reporters went crazy in his first interviews after the press conference, but soon everything became calm again. Ren still got a lot of offers, but none of them was as challenging and outstanding as the Katsuki. His schedule seemed to be more empty than ever and he wasn't accepting that situation mentally. When he heard that Lory wanted to see him in his office, it reminded him of his school years, when he was called on the carpet by the principal.

If only the headmaster's office was looking like a medieval castle, he would even enjoy it. He heard some trumpets, announcing his arrival and soon he saw LME's president, sitting on the golden throne. 'How much money does he have to waste?' Ren could not help, but wonder. He decided to play his game. "Your majesty!" he bowed in front of his "king". "Finally, you're behaving like a true actor!" Lory smiled widely.

"How are you feeling? You seem quite pale." His boss sounded somehow concerned. "I'm feeling great, thanks for asking. How about you?" Ren answered automatically. "I'm not a journalist, you know? You can loose your composure while speaking with me." Tsuruga-san shook his head. "When I said that I was fine, I meant it, really. Maybe I'm little more tired than usual, but that's all." Lory looked outside the window and thought for a moment. His top actor was not in his best shape, there was a potential rival and the standard ways to brighten his mood failed. There was only one thing left.

"You should give yourself a break and take some days off." He proposed. "You were abroad a lot the last few years, but all of your visits were strictly business related." Ren disagreed once more. "Tsuruga Ren never takes a holiday." Lory only grinned mischievously. "But Hizuri Kuon does. So here are your options: you can rest and come back as a better actor or you can start looking for the other agency, which would not worry about your health and career."

And there he was, wasting his time, when he could make some commercials or other small task in order not to loose his position as the best actor in Japan. For the first time he was scared that there was someone, who could take his place, while he was gone. This way being his old self for a few days was refreshing. Ren could be anxious, but Kuon did not care at all.

The weather was nice, so he decided to go on a beach. It was his third day on Guam and he managed to find the best place to chill out. There were barely any people and most importantly – young girls. Since he landed on the island, there were a least twenty situations, when someone was flirting with him, trying to pick him up. Speaking Russian was helpful to get rid of them, but unfortunately there always was a girl, who understood him. So that part of the beach was his asylum.

He decided to dive and enjoy looking at the fish. However Kuon forgot his swimming googles and opened his eyes underwater. It would be really cool to act despite the physical laws and observe the life in the sea without any problem, but the physics reminded Kuon about itself. He quickly resurfaced and rubbed his eyes to get rid of salty water.

Then he saw her. For a moment he thought that he had just imagined her, but then he saw some sparkles in her gaze. Did she recognise him as Tsuruga Ren? Will she destroy his disguise? He didn't like it at all. Suddenly some brine attacked his eye once more and he grimaced. Somehow his reaction made Kyoko run towards him with her arms wide open. "Corn!" His heartbeat was so quick that he really thought that he could have a stroke.

He took a few steps back, stopping her. Kyoko was slightly confused, but she still shouted: "It's me, Corn! Do you recognise me?" Then she looked at him intensively as if she wanted to tell him something through telepathy. Now both of them were disconcerted. Kuon was wondering what to do. He could just ignore her. It would be probably for the best, but in that case he would never get to know, why she was on Guam. Tsuruga Ren would walk away and act as if nothing had happened. But he was Kuon. That boy was not easily satisfied and when he wanted something, he would get it. And now he really wanted to know what his childhood friend was doing there.

Kuon took a stick and wrote down in the sand: "Could you be Kyoko-chan?" Her face brightened and she smiled, making his heart race for a moment. 'These must be Kuon's emotions. Yes… Tsuruga Ren would not act like that.' He accounted for himself. He raised his hand to pat her on her head, but he had stopped himself, before he made the worst mistake in his life. She was never good with touching, he remembered. It must have been her mother's fault and it made him pity her.

"Corn! It's really you!" Kyoko hugged him, resolving all of his doubts. "Why are so silent? Did something happen?" He was a proud actor, so he felt obliged to come up with something quickly. "Sorry, actually borrowing a voice via magic is what I plan to do." he left her a message in sand. He explained her that it was difficult to him, since she was not a child any more. Soon he was touching her temple with his eyes closed. 'I can still run away.' But then he would not find out, why she was there. He sighed mentally and opened his eyes.

"I missed you, Kyoko-chan." he confessed softly, confusing himself as well.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! So. Many. Reviews. My heart jumps a little each time I get a notification. Than you so much! Since some of you want a Dark Moon chapter and the rest find another filler unappealing, I will just make it an extra chapter and post it on my blog soon. I'll tell you later when exactly it will happen. So their marriage was illegal xp? OK. Here's my theory: it's a parallel universe, where people can get married earlier. Yup, I really like this excuse. Anyway! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~**!


	67. The port of a call

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 67

The port of a call

"I'm going to the studio and I won't be back 'til late night, so do whatever you want." Sho announced the next day. "Right now, I'm on the top and I don't want to loose my crown. I'm going to spend the whole time writing songs, so find something interesting, but for one person only." Normally, Kyoko would be sad about that situation, but now it helped her a little. She only needed to make him happier and then she would be able to ask. "Congratulations, Sho! You really deserve it! You are better than people like Tsuruga Ren!" Kyoko didn't have to add anything else, since Sho was in his own la la land. It was her chance.

"I was wondering, if I could hire a guide in order to see as much things as I can here… ." She started. Sho hated the idea of spending his money on such useless things, but it was a price he had to pay so as to get rid of her for the time being. "Is this guide a man?" His possessive side asked. "No." Kyoko answered calmly. Technically, she wasn't lying. Kuon was not a human, so he could not be a man, but a fairy. "If that's the case, then I agree." If only Sho knew that he allowed his wife to spend her time with his biggest rival… .

Kyoko hugged her husband quickly and got ready for the day. Yesterday she met her childhood friend in the last place she would expect him. When Kuon was finally able to speak, she realised that he had a voice of Tsuruga Ren. She screamed petrified, but soon the fairy calmed her down. "What is wrong, Kyoko-chan?" He spoke the way it made her name sound like a melody. As if he enjoyed saying it loud. "Y...your voice! It's not yours!" Kuon smirked. "Of course it's not mine. I borrowed it from your memory. You must have thought about that man a lot lately." He decided to take a risk.

"No! I mean… yes… . Well, a little bit maybe?" Kyoko could not find an appropriate answer. She respected Tsuruga Ren. In her mind he became an acting authority. The girl hoped that one day she would have a chance to act with him once more and prove herself. This dream sounded so distant though. She could not predict that it would happen in not so distant future… .

Kuon liked her answer. Or maybe Ren liked it more? He could not tell. Somehow the way she responded made him feel better. 'Am I just desiring some compliments, since I have a bad time in work or is it something else?' He was wondering, but he suddenly stopped, when he saw her expression. "Now I'm really worried. Do you really hate his voice so much?"

"No! I'm just… not used to it yet. But tomorrow I promise that I will act normally!" 'Tomorrow?' That could only mean that she was to stay in Guam for at least one more day. And that she wanted to spend it with him. "Tomorrow?" Kuon spoke his mind. Kyoko bowed quickly. "I'm so sorry! You must be busy and I'm wasting your precious time! I will just go back to the hotel, but please, tell me one last thing. Can you fly freely now?"

It took him some time to realise what was she talking about. In other words, she wanted to know, whether he surpassed his father or not. His expression became more painful than before, without him realising it. "No, not yet. I feel like every day I'm getting more far and far away from my dream. But, don't worry to much. I'm here to enjoy my spare time."

Kuon wanted to ask her what her purpose of the stay was, but she changed the topic too fast. "Does it mean that I can spend some time with you tomorrow as well?" He though about it for a moment. His trip was only beginning and he already felt like he saw all of the attractions. Kuon would probably just chill out on the beach. Spending this time with her could give him a chance to discover all of the mysteries connected to Kyoko. And he really wanted to know the truth.

"Sounds good for me. I can be your guide, since I know this island well." She smiled cheerfully, but then she thought about Sho. It was their honeymoon and it was their moment to spend together as well. Could she really ignore his presence and enjoy her time with an old friend? Fun fact: Even for a second Kyoko did not think that it could be considered as cheating on her husband.

"Can I give you your answer tomorrow? I need to check one thing, before I accept your offer." Kuon got suspicious. Why couldn't she just say "yes" directly? It was another secret that he wanted to uncover soon. "Of course you can, Kyoko-chan. We will meet here around nine in the morning, OK?" She nodded and parted with her friend. Her mind was spinning, as she was trying to organise her thoughts. She met Corn, her Corn! Now she was able to thank him for helping her during the Sho's video shooting!

Or not. Her cheeks became scarlet, when she realised what it would mean. That she had some feeling for him. She hadn't thought about it even once. It was natural that she loved Corn. Her love was innocent and platonic, but now that she was a grown-up woman things seemed to be different. Kyoko had problems with falling asleep, wondering about her new situation. What would she do the next day?

But the answer was really easy. When she saw Corn, she just rushed towards him and hugged him cheerfully.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I've just ended the last route in Mystic Messenger and my life seems empty. What can I do , ? I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	68. Books take pages to tell

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 68

Books take pages to tell

She avoided talking about her life on purpose. Corn from her memories accepted Sho as her friend, but he never really liked him. She could sense it, but she was unable to understand it. Sho was always so nice to her. Yes, he couldn't help her, when she cried, but it was not like he didn't care. He just lacked the knowledge needed. His life was easy, everything was given to him on a silver platter. Corn was different. He was a fairy prince, but he didn't enjoy the luxury connected to his title. Always being in his father's shadow made him forget how to fly by himself. They were similar in so many ways. If she was a fairy, she would be a wingless one for sure.

One thing made her extra anxious. Kyoko still wasn't sure, whether Corn could read her mind or not. Sometimes he was saying things that she was to say and he made an expression as if he knew more about her than she thought. But then she tried to communicate with him via her mind and he didn't respond. Her curiosity hit the highest level, so she asked: "Corn… do you know something about telepathy?"

Kuon almost choke the sandwich he had been eating. He coughed a little bit longer than it was necessary to think about it and create a convincing statement. The idea of lying even further was disgusting for him, but inquisitive as he was, he found that situation perfect to investigate her. Trying not to loose his stoic face, he responded. "Yes, I can, but it is a limited ability, sadly." She screamed loudly: "I knew it! But what does it mean it's limited? And did you read my mind when we were little?"

"No, I didn't. I wasn't this powerful and I gained most of my magical skills right after my fifteenth birthday." Kyoko nodded as if he only confirmed her suspicions. As if it made any sense. "It's limited, because I can read people's mind only when they accept it. I don't have to ask them directly, but everyone has some private topics that are not supposed to be revealed. You are the same, Kyoko-chan." She sighed from relief. He noticed it of course. "Why are you hiding things from me? I thought we were friends." Yes, good, old, emotional blackmail. She was so vulnerable!

"It's not like that! It's just… I don't want to make you sad or anything… . Anyway! Tell me what can you read from my mind!" Kyoko quickly changed the topic. Kuon was silent for a moment. 'How much do I know about her?' The girl in front of him was blushing, definitely thinking that he was already in her mind. He did his best not to laugh at her.

"I can tell that you attended some acting courses, but you don't plan to be an actress." Kuon told her some obvious things for Ren. Somehow, he hoped that the wasn't right. That she decided to follow the route of entertainment career and he would have another chance to act with her. But she agreed. "Yes, it's true. Wow! You really can do this!" She was all smiles. "What else do you know?"

That was the most problematic part of his lie. He really didn't know much about her. "You were attacked in front of your school. I'm so sorry. The next time I will be there to help you." Kuon was surprised by his own words. How could he promise her something like that? Corn exists only in her imagination, Kuon is forgotten and Ren is a stranger for her. A busy one in addition. "Don't worry. There was someone, who helped me, so I wasn't that scared. Let's not talk about it any more. Is there anything you know about me as well?"

Kyoko changed the topic once more – this time to hide her emotions. She was touched, when he said those words. She knew that he would not be able to be with her, if something bad was to happen, since he was a prince with a lot of duties. However her heart beat unevenly. Someone cared for her. It was not something that she was used to.

Kuon gulped. Yes, he used all of the details about her life. He instantly regretted his idea. But he could not back off now. "You're still close to your childhood friend, but I can't tell you the particulars, since you block them." Kuon risked. Luckily, he was right. Her cheeks were burning bright red, as if he had discovered her darkest secret. 'It must be somehow connected to the fact that she is here. But how?' He was wondering.

"That's true. Me and Sho… are still in touch." She admitted, not wanting to say anything more. Kuon was more and more suspicious. "Could it be that he had hurt you?", "No!" Kyoko quickly denied. "It's just… um… can we talk more about you? It's been years, since I last saw you!" Kuon fought with his desire to make her tell him the truth by force. 'Not physical of course. Well, maybe kis… I mean, teasing!' He blocked all of the images that were shown in front of his eyes. His imagination needed only two seconds to go wild. He was shocked by his reaction. It must have been the fault of the sun, right? He should just hide in a shadow and cool down.

"Yes, I can tell you whatever you want to know.", 'Despite the truth.' He added bitterly in his mind. "But how about we go somewhere quieter? You know… people can not know about my existence… ." Did it count as an emotional blackmail? He didn't care. "Sure, let's go!" She smiled and let him led her the way. Kuon was hesitant for a moment, but then he grabbed her hand tenderly and showed her the most beautiful places she had ever seen.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I'm afraid that during this week I may not be able to post chapters daily. I'm so sorry! It's close to the end of the semester and all of my teachers are acting crazy. I will still try to write something everyday, but I can't promise anything. Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	69. Five senses reeling

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 69

Five senses reeling

Since Kyoko was not prepared for hiking and she didn't take her swimsuit with her (Kuon still did not believe that she might have forgotten it), they had no other choice, but to go sightseeing. For the first few minutes they were walking aimlessly, chatting about the old times, when Kyoko saw the same mural as the day before. She didn't want to show her interest in it, because Corn must have seen much more beautiful art in his kingdom, yet she stopped for a moment. This time she remembered about her disposable camera, so she took some quick photos.

"Do you like this graffiti?" He asked, surprised. It sounded as if he was judging her, so she blushed a little, but decided not to lie. "Yes, I do. I know that nothing compares to the buildings in your land, but I don't see this kind of artistry everyday." She confessed, trying to hide her embarrassment. Kuon took a long look at the mural. "I'm sorry if it seemed to be offensive. I like this too, so I was wondering, whether you would like to see some more today." Kyoko smiled widely and nodded.

They spent another two hours walking around the city, searching for the most magnificent murals. Kuon enjoyed looking at Kyoko's reactions and face expressions. The colourful paintings presented some exotic flowers, mermaids, underwater animals and so much more. The girl was slightly shy and didn't want to ask her friend to take a photo of her in front of the graffiti, but Corn managed to read her mind and proposed it himself. "Your ability is really incredible." He nodded, not sure what she meant.

Being Kuon was refreshing. He could forget about his current situation, rival and his last failure. Spending time with her helped him as well. Ren felt as if he was reborn. No painful memories, no chasing nightmares as well. He did not understand it though. Kuon was supposed to be hurt. Then he realised that since he saw Kyoko, he started to act like a totally new character. He became Corn. Deep inside he knew that state would not last forever, but he chose not to care too much about it and have fun as much as he can.

But he wasn't smiling. Kyoko sensed that something was off about his behaviour, but she decided not to investigate. Not now at least. He was starting to be more talkative and she didn't want to ruin it, because of her impatience and worry. 'If something is troubling him, he would tell me, right?' Moreover Kyoko felt bad about keeping her marriage a secret. Confessing it was not the best idea as well, so she could not demand him to tell her about all of his problems, when she was hiding so important facts about herself.

'Maybe I should really consider telling him that it's my honeymoon.' It would be well-seen, since she was spending her time with another men, but unluckily she didn't see him as one. He was a fairy, she was a human. Not a chance to create something romantic at all. Kyoko was to open her mouth and start a new conversation, when her stomach made a weird noise. She quickly hugged herself to quiet down her organism, alas unsuccessfully.

Kuon looked at her concerned. "Could it be that you are hungry?", "Yes. How about you?" He shook his head. "Not at all.", "Oh!" Kyoko realised something. "Does it mean that fairies don't have to eat as often as humans do?" Kuon realised that his father would be recognised as a fairy king and having no appetite was the last trait that could describe him. "It depends on the place, where a fairy was born." He lied smoothly. It sounded fairly logical, so it convinced her.

"Nevertheless you must taste Guam's cuisine." She smiled the moment he declared it. "Let's go, Kyoko-chan." He would easily get used to holding her hand, but somehow she avoided touching him, so he kept his distance. However leading the way was an easy excuse to get closer to her and she didn't comprehend it. So Kuon made the most of it, not entirely sure why.

Tradition Chamorro food was similar to Mexican and Spanish ones. Kyoko didn't have a lot of chances to eat anything truly spicy, so she decided to take a risk. She ordered Chicken Kelaguen, which tasted like a mix of the coconuts, lemons, onions and most importantly – hot peppers. Normally she would be scared of that combination, but surprisingly it was one of the most delicious thing she had eaten lately. She smiled to the restaurant owner and asked, whether she could share a recipe for it. Kyoko was ready for her idea to be rejected, but the old lady only smiled and wrote down the ingredients. Once more the girl was astonished by the hospitality of the island's habitants.

On the other hand, Kuon was not eating properly his meal. His tamales looked scrumptiously, yet he only took a bite of it. "Why aren't you eating?" Kyoko asked, concerned. Then the realisation hit her. "Could it be..." she whispered. "… that fairies can't eat normal food?" Kuon's eyes opened widely, when he noticed that the girl was preparing to bow deeply. He stopped her quickly. "No, that's not it! I was just born in the northern part of my kingdom, so not eating much is a regular habit of mine." Coming up with some weird excuses was becoming more and more easy.

Kyoko pouted. "If that's the case, you shouldn't order it. Now the chef will think that it didn't taste you." She complained. Kuon didn't know this side of her, but he found it cute. "OK, I will try to eat as much as I can. And as fast as I can, because we can not be late." She was surprised. "Where are we going then?", "A concert." Kyoko paled. 'Could it be that Sho is having a small gig in here?'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Two words: home, work. Well, maybe one, but you got me! I spend the whole day, doing some French grammar exercisers and my brain now is not working properly. Luckily, I was able to write this chapter, so hurray! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	70. From the high ground

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 70

From the high ground

No, it couldn't be the case. He would have told her about his concert, wouldn't he? It's not like she was being ignored or anything… . He just let her have some free time and rest after the exhausting wedding preparation. Well, technically it was his mother, who did most of it, but he didn't have to know that.

Kyoko was dazed for a moment, so she didn't realise that Kuon took her hand once more. He was enjoying it more that he should have, but it was nothing worth being worried about. Her palm was so small compared to his and delicate. It made him think that one breath could shatter it. So he held it carefully not to scare her and not to break it.

The girl was surprised to be back on the beach. Kuon led the way and soon she saw some people, getting ready to perform. They had a lot of instruments that were unknown to her. She noticed some musical bows, a nose flute and something similar to guitar. "There is no audience in here." Kyoko whispered, not wanting to be rude to the musicians. "That's the case, since they are only practising.", "So, what are we doing here?" She felt bad about it. "You told me about your curfew, which is quite early. Well, too early to listen to a normal concert, but I thought that it would be a shame to be here and not listen to the local music live."

Her heart felt a little bit warmer. He planned everything so that she would not miss anything. Her smile was unnaturally wide, which made Kuon think that it was fake, when it wasn't. The musicians smiled as well, understanding some basic Japanese. They started their show and Kyoko soon forgot about everyone and everything. She was on the beach, but her mind was somewhere far away… in a place, where there was not such a thing as a pain or a sorrow. The music was lively, cheerful and so different from the songs that Sho was singing.

At the same time, Kuon was wondering about some unpleasant matters. This catchy rhythm could not erase his worries. 'Why does she have a curfew? Could it be her hotel restriction? But what kind resort would have such a cruel and useless rules? Maybe it's connected with her work? But again… what kind of profession could it be? So the last rational option… is someone not allowing her to stay out late?' He hated the idea itself. If his guess was true, he could end up getting seriously mad. 'Why though?' Kuon just couldn't understand. 'Why do I care so much about a childhood friend? Our bond was not supposed to last long. And here I am, on a tropical island, playing as a tourist guide for a girl, who doesn't even know my name.'

Soon the band was playing their most popular songs and some of passer-byes stopped to listen to their pieces. Then someone playing the keyboard joined the jam and the crowd started to dance. Kuon did not hesitate. He took her hand with a silent question in his eyes. She nodded.

Kyoko could not remember when she was laughing so hard the last time. It was obvious that she lacked any sort of dancing skills, but she really didn't care. It was Kuon, who led the dance and not let them fall down or embarrass themselves. Since the music was rather quick, they kept their distance, not crossing the comfort zone. It felt so nice that she could do this for the whole day.

But then they changed the pace. The vocalist sang a lovely ballad, so slow that people got closer to their partners impulsively. Kuon was about to do the same, when Kyoko broke free from his arms. Trying not to show the disappointment, he took a step back and smirked a little, still not showing his full smile. The girl in front of him was more than ashamed. The other pairs were kissing, hugging and doing other things that made her head spin. Kuon had to react quickly.

He left her alone for a second so that she could take a breath. He used this time to approach the man playing the keyboard. "Can I borrow it for a moment?" Normally people would reject this kind of idea, but let's be honest – no one could refuse anything, when Kuon was in his "puppy-eyes mode." The actor bowed deeply and pointed the place, where he would play the keyboard. The musician was so bewitched by his behaviour that he even helped him with moving the instrument.

Kyoko followed them dumbfounded, not saying anything. Then Kuon sat down, closed his eyes for a second and then he started playing. The moment his fingers pressed the first few keys, the crowd moved from the professionals musicians to a complete amateur. Chopin's "Fantaisie" was the piece he chose. Truth be told it was the only score he knew thanks to his previous role as Katsuki. Everyone listened to his music as if it was the only sound in the whole universe.

When he ended, the crowd went wild. Some people made a video with him, some wanted his autograph. He only bowed, thanked the keyboard's owner and run away with Kyoko to a more quiet place. "That was amazing, Corn! I didn't know that you can play the piano! Oh, of course you can, since you are a fairy prince!" Her imagination went as wild as the crowd few moments ago. "This piece was important to my father, so I dreamt of learning it by heart." He confessed and it was truth. His eyes got blurry and he sensed that melancholic feeling that he had already forgotten about.

Then he realised that the girl was watching him silently. "Kyoko-chan, do you want me to teach you how to play?" He knew that they hadn't got enough time, but he found himself giving her more and more promises, that he could not keep. As if they had a future to share together. Just to get closer to her.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I've just watched the 10th episode of Yuri on Ice and I'm like OMGwhatjusthappenedImlaughingsohardPLEASEHELPME. Yes. I'm so sorry. Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	71. To the ditches

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 71

To the ditches

Her daily routine was quite simple – she spent most of the day with Kuon to come back to the hotel and hear about Sho's song writing progress. Sometimes he would even sing her his new pieces, but every time she closed her eyes, her mind would remind her that beautiful Chopin's composition. Kyoko hoped that she would have another chance to listen to the Kuon's piano.

They were sightseeing intensively. In a one week time, they were able to see the most important places in the Guam's capitol. Moreover they were diving and visiting the museum. Kyoko enjoyed hiking the most. The view was picturesque and breathtaking. She used most of her camera's memory on the photos of the mountains. Despite that they saw a lot of caves. This time it was the Marbo Cave, which stole her heart. On the contrary, Kuon always preferred the waterfalls, since they could calm him down.

Sometimes they were just lying on the beach, looking at the sea and talking about the past. Of course, they were not completely honest with each other. Kuon's version was written anew to suit his fairy character and Kyoko silenced everything connected to Sho and the unpleasant memories like the one about her being bullied in the middle school.

Once they watched the sunset. That day Sho told her that he would not come back to the hotel before the midnight. Kuon got suspicious, but he didn't ask her about it. Instead he took her on a real concert, this time with some traditional dances. When it was about to get darker, they went to the beach to look at the sun slowly falling to the Earth. Words could not describe the sight in front of them.

Kyoko's eyes got tearful. She was thinking about her childhood friend. About the way he appeared in her life again, when she needed him the most. About his kind gestures and his benevolence. She was engrossed in his deeply greenish eyes, sparkling each time he said her name. Yes, friendship was an amazing thing after all!

The atmosphere was favourable enough to confess the darkest secrets. They decided not to tell them after all, but Kuon had one more thing to say. "Tomorrow is my last day here." He whispered not to disturb the soothing silence. "I want to take you to a very special place." Her sorrow made Kyoko unable to phrase a logical sentence. She knew that they would separate soon, but she didn't expect that moment to appear so soon. Slowly closing her eyes, she stopped a single tear.

She would miss him, that was undoubted. Moko-san was her friend as well, but it just felt different. Her friendship was forced by Kyoko. At the same time, Corn was the one to choose her as the person close to his heart. She took a deep breath. He should not see her like that.

"OK. Let's go there tomorrow!" The girl forced a smile, but then she lost her composure. "I will miss you." She spoke her thoughts loud. "I will miss you, too." He told her silently. "But don't worry to much. We will see each other soon." Another promise that could not be kept. Just another lie.

He closed his eyes as well. It seemed as if the whole universe created the impossible scenario, where they could meet again on a tropical island, far from their problems. What was the chance that the fate would let them see each other once more? 'Probably it's something around zero percent." Kuon thought sadly.

That night she had a problems with falling asleep. She tossed and turned countless times, trying not to think about the next day. Kyoko wanted him to see her in the top shape. The dark circles under the eyes and yawning were not welcomed. Sho came back lately and he didn't notice that she was still awake. He was humming something, which made him look more cheerful than usual. 'Did something good happen?' Kyoko wondered.

The uncertainty tired her and she finally drifted away around two in the morning. She wore the nicest clothes, made another hairstyle and put a little bit of make-up (a present from Kanae). The result was not as satisfying as she had hoped, but it was too late to change anything. Especially the DNA. Kyoko pulled herself together and got ready to meet her destiny.

He was waiting for her, looking somehow miserable. She didn't like it at all. Kuon didn't say anything, he just took her hand as ever and led the way. This time they took a taxi. The silence was not very pleasurable, but she decided to enjoy it, since it might have been the last silence between them. They left the city and were heading to the north. "Um… where are we going?" She asked unable to hide her curiosity. "You will see." He gave her a reassuring gaze. Kyoko smiled a little.

It was the last place that she would expect. They were on the edge of a very steep cliff. She embraced herself, feeling some weird sensation. It was a dangerous place, but at the same time an eye-catching one. "Two Lover's Point." Kuon said with a small blush. Realising how it sounded, he added: "There is a legend about this place. Two people, who were deeply in love could not be together, so they leaped to their death from the cliff-side so as to meet each other once again in an afterlife." They were silent for a moment. "I took you here, because I want to say that we will encounter each other once more. Yes, there is a barrier between the fairy kingdom and the human world, but it's not strong enough to stop me from seeing you."

She sobbed a little, but he continued. "You brought back a happiness in my life. I will never return your favour. I will miss you." Kyoko was to hug him, when she realised something. "Your smile… you never smiled truly in front of me. How could you be happy?" She doubted. "That's not it!", 'Think fast, Kuon. Think!', "It's… a curse." He lied. "An evil witch cast a spell on me and I'm unable to smile. But there is a one way to disenchant it." His mind was spinning as he was creating a convincing version of the truth.

"I will do everything that is needed to help you!" Kyoko offered courageously and spontaneously. He did not think for a second. "There is only a one solution." He pointed his mouth. "Y… you mean…?" She shouted as her cheeks became bloody red. "A kiss." Kuon risked. There was no time to wait. If he gave her a chance to think about it, she would reject his idea. That's why he acted quickly. He leant down, his face only few centimetres from hers.

"I'm married to Sho." She confessed as she pushed him away.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Today I had an extremely difficult exam and I passed it, so I'm on cloud nine. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	72. Betrayed the joy

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 72

Betrayed the joy

Kanae got a phone call from Matsushima-san, the head of the acting department. She smiled a little. Ever since she met Takarada Lory, her life changed. The next day she signed a contract with LME - the biggest entertainment company in her country. She didn't even have to go on an audition in Akatoki Agency, because their biggest rival accepted her first. Moko-san could almost forget about the fact that it was the LME, which rejected her in the very beginning. She still did not know what the president of that agency was doing on Kyoko's wedding reception. Nevertheless the fate gave her a chance to become a true actress and she didn't want to let it go to waste.

Matsushima-san phoned her to inform Kanae about the date of the Dark Moon's reshoot. She knew that Tsuruga Ren gave up on his role, but she forgot that it affected her as well. Now, she was to act once again as the overly curious neighbour, this time with a totally different partner. Truth be told, Kanae preferred the most famous actor to be a part of her first appearance on the TV rather than facing someone not so popular, but in the end she didn't mind. It was her first step in that industry. It didn't matter how big it was.

Suspicious as the LME's boss was, he seemed to notice her talent (somewhere) and Kanae appreciated it. Being a part of the acting department had it's merits, for example in the close future she would get her temporary manager and after her début – a permanent one. The only thing that made her a little gloomy was Kyoko's life situation. Kanae truly could not understand why her friend decided not to start her career as an actress and marry that boy instead. It did not make any sense and she feared that their relationship would end up quickly and painfully. Her wise words were ignored and now the tragedy was to happen. She did not want to be a part of that drama. She did not want her friend to be a part of it as well.

When Lory was blackmailing Ren, he thought that it would help him not to think too much about Katsuki and his rival. He hoped that the holidays somewhere far from his father's homeland would distance him from his actual problems. The actor was the one to determinate where to go and Lory did not know the reason of his decision. Ren did not understand it as well. Partly, he just didn't want to be far from Japan, just in case something was to happen. But on the other hand, there was that weird impulse that forced him to visit Guam. Maybe it was written somewhere in the sky that he must have met Kyoko there? Whatever the reason, he just came back to see his boss.

Lory had not expected what he saw that day. The biggest star of his agency looked more like a shadow than a proper human being. His skin was pale and the bags under his eyes were the proof that he did not sleep a wink. Ren looked even more tired than before his trip. 'What was the worst that could happen there?' LME's president wondered.

"Please, sit down." He started, not even greeting Ren, because of his bad state. "Did someone recognise you?" It was the only one reasonable explanation that came to his mind. Lory scratched his Santa's beard. His actual theme was Christmas. It wasn't even the December yet, but he already felt the holiday's atmosphere. However seeing an important person to him in that kind of condition was destroying the whole joy.

"Not in the way you would expect." Ren mumbled. "So what happened?" This time Lory was the impatient one in the conversation. His only excuse was the conviction that the faster he got to know the truth, the faster he would react to prevent another disaster. Tsuruga-san was quiet. He looked around the room, trying to get used to the fake snow. Then he sighed deeply and confessed: "Nothing really important. There was just a small accident, but the situation is under control now."

"Are you sure that you don't need any help?" Lory doubted that everything was OK. "Yes, I am.", "Ren-kun… if something is troubling you, don't think about it for a second, just call me.", "Thank you for your concern, but I will go back to my work, if you allow me to." He bowed, said his goodbyes and left the office.

When the door closed, he rushed towards an empty corridor. When he was all alone, he sat down on the floor and hid the face in his hands. "What exactly happened?" Ren wasn't sure himself. Last Friday he almost kissed his childhood friend, just to get to know that she was already married. It was worse than any soap opera that he had ever heard of. 'She wasn't cheating… she was just spending her time with her friend. Not to mention that I didn't treat that as the dates, just keeping a company.'

But why did he felt like being deceived? Maybe if she had told him it before, he would not overreact as he did. After her confession he found himself unable to speak. What could he tell her anyway? "Congratulations?" She tried to explain him everything, but he stopped listening to her. It didn't make any sense, still he didn't want to understand it. As if his mind was protecting him from revealing the truth. From being hurt.

Confused, he decided not to see her ever again. Only a week with her made him feel like an emotional wreck. It could not be healthy for his career or his life whatsoever. Ren had enough problems already. He would forget her. He would let her live her life the way she wanted to. To life her life without him.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! The lack of the sleep was sponsored by the Grand Prix of Figure Skating. I hope Yuzuru Hanyu will win this year! Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	73. Repulse with a queasy smile

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 73

Repulse with a queasy smile

Everything was the same except for the main actor and the atmosphere. The last time she entered that studio, it felt like a nice place to be in. A perfect one for an acting school's trip. Today it was the complete opposite. Almost every person was in hurry, running from the one end of the building to the other. She heard the shouting, some quick commands and the sound people trying to quiet down the rest of the team. It would look comical, if it wasn't so tense and tragic at the same time.

'He really made a lot of trouble." Kanae thought about Ren. Matsushima-san warned her that the situation on the film set may be not the most pleasant one. Ever since Tsuruga-san gave up on his role, the script writers were working like crazy to adjust the scenario so that it would suit Kimura Itsuki's image more. Which basically meant that the drama release was delayed. Luckily, Ren's substitute was a workaholic and he managed to memorise everything almost as quickly as Kanae could.

They were only few weeks late, which was quite miraculous. The actors' schedules somehow allowed them to redo most of the scenes. The only snag that made things this hectic was the fact that they were already airing the drama that has not been filmed completely. Just one, small mistake could destroy the whole production. Kanae wasn't that type of a person to fear the challenges and let the pressure get her down, but she had to admit that just being in that building made her feel a little bit stressed.

And everyone were ignoring her. Her temporary manager was very clumsy and she got stuck in the traffic jam in the other part of the city. Kanae predicted that she would not be there before the end of the shooting. 'Great. So... what can I do now?' Being lost was one of the few things that made her frustrated. She did not recognise anyone and since she had a minor role, it would look bad to approach the director directly. Especially when he looked so busy. She could tell that this occurrence would affect his health state.

Moko-san looked around to find some solution, when she felt someone patting her on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for intruding, but are you miss, by any chance, lost?" She saw a tall man looking at her politely. Kanae wasn't fooled. It was that Kimura Itsuki himself. Something about his facial expression made her dislike him. 'He's fake.' She already created her own judgement. But it was not the best time to appraise anyone's behaviour. Kotonami-san considered her options.

Telling the truth didn't seem as a bad idea at all. She would act with him, so asking for a small favour was natural. On the other hand, she really smelled something fishy. Itsuki looked like a person she would prefer to avoid. In the end, Kanae decided to choose the lesser evil. "Yes, I am a bit. My name is Kotonami Kanae and I am to play Katsuki's neighbour today." She faked a smile to go with his.

"I knew it!" He shouted childishly. For a moment, he reminded her of Kyoko. 'I should call her as soon as the shooting ends.', "We had a call from your manager that you would be late, but you managed to get here just in time!" He praised her or maybe just stated the obvious. It was difficult to tell, since everything he did was so unnatural. "Let's go, I will show you the way!"

And so she was led to the make-up artist and few minutes later she was ready to act. The scene remained the same, but this time the main actor would know what she was to say, so Kanae lost her chance to surprise Itsuki and make him react as she had done with Ren. Slightly disappointed, she decided to do her best anyway.

The director announced the beginning of the shooting and she quickly got into her role. She faced her partner and followed the script. Kanae was to speak her lines, when she saw his expression closely. Her eyes widened with shock and she froze. "Cut! Kotonami-san, did something happen?" Ogata-san was worried. "No, it's nothing. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Let me redo this." She bowed deeply and prepared for another shot.

This time she knew that he would act this way, nevertheless she still felt shivers sending down her spine. Moko-san had heard that Itsuki wanted to surpass Ren, but she always thought that it was impossible. Now, she found the situation different. In front of her stood an actor, who was able to conquer the world. 'If I were Tsuruga Ren, I'd be totally freaked out now.'

Lory was watching his new favourite video for the third time that week. No matter how cliché it was, he really enjoyed the performance. He got lucky that Sebastian have heard about Kyoko's second acting trip and followed her. LME president ordered him to do it just in case there would be another jealous girl wiling to hurt his agency's future actress. This way he acquired a DVD version of Kyoko's first acting live. He was enchanted by that newbie's skills. Not only she created a convincing character, but also saved the day, when the other classmate forgot her lines. Lory felt proud of her, even though she was not the part of his agency.

Yet. He remembered the deal that he had made with Sho's mother. The president hoped that Kyoko would consider his offer, when the right time comes. But that time was not to come soon thanks to the other deal that Okami-san had sealed earlier. 'I wonder how that girl will react, when she gets to know the truth. Will she accept her fate, as if nothing wrong happened?' He really doubted it.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Yuzuru Hanyu, he did it! Congratulations on your gold medal! So glad that happened. Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	74. Caught in a trap

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 74

Caught in a trap

He didn't ask. Moreover he didn't seem to even notice. She wasn't sure, if it was better this way. Maybe involving him in her problems would only make it all worse? Just like the times when they were children. Kyoko could not seek for Sho's support. He was busy, not experienced enough in comforting other people and extremely happy for no reason. Or she just didn't know it yet. Nevertheless, she loved him. Sharing her sadness with him to make herself feel better was the last thing she wanted to do. So she was silent. He didn't ask.

When they got off the taxi, Corn looked at her with that kind of sorrow in his eyes that she felt like someone invisible was suffocating her. Unable to say anything, she just embraced him slightly. But he didn't hug her back. The words were unnecessary at that moment. Everything that could be told, was told.

She closed her eyes not to see his painful expression. Did she hurt him? Why? How? Can she do something about it? Will she see him again? When? What should she do? Those questions were attacking her mind, making her head hurt. But none of them would be answered, she knew that deep inside her heart. Kyoko failed. She finally met her childhood friend to destroy their relation in the very end. Could she do something worse?

Then she looked at him for the last time. It was not the image of him that she would want to remember. But it was already done. His clouded expression would be burnt in her heart as a next scar in her soul. Kyoko could not endure it any longer. She forced a smile, bowed deeply and run away. The lonely whisper could not be heard by him, since she was so far away from him the moment she said it. "Goodbye."

Escaping any unpleasant situation had one important drawback – being lost. She let her legs lead her and soon she was in an unknown part of the city. Kyoko felt some déjà vu. This time she would not waste her time by walking around aimlessly and wait for the night to scare her. There were no friends in this town and no one would help her to find a place to stay. So she approached a stranger and asked for the directions. Soon, she was back "home".

Sho wasn't there, so she allowed herself to cry for a few minutes. It was supposed to help her to deal with her emotions, but the attempt failed. Kyoko continued sobbing until she started to have some difficulties in breathing. Shaking her head and cowering, she took a break for a few moments and then let herself loose her composure once more.

When he got back home, he saw her lying on the bed with her clothes on. It was suspicious, but he didn't feel like intervening. Something bad must have happened, but Kyoko was an adult after all and she could fight her own demons by herself. Ignoring her pain, he got to sleep without any remorse.

The next few days were probably the worst ones in her entire life. She was starting her day with a question: "why?". Then she would wash herself and contemplate, whether she would see Corn ever again and apologise properly. Each time Kyoko got out of the shower stall, she whispered: "probably not." Next she would start fake smiling session – her everyday activity created not to worry Sho. It worked pretty well. Later on, Kyoko would make a breakfast, eat it, wash the dishes and leave the hotel alone.

Laying on the sand was the only thing that could make her somehow happy. That sensation itself reminded her of the time, when she was on the beach, not knowing about Corn's appearance. Carefree looking at the ocean erased her painful memories for a short amount of time. Sometimes she could even smile slightly, yet truly.

She noticed that she could see the hotel's receptionist more often than her own husband. One day he just said that he would not be coming back before the late night. Kyoko only shrugged her shoulders. How could she stop him? He would do whatever he wanted anyway. One day she heard him talking on a phone with Shoko. Something in his conversation made Kyoko feel as if his manager was on the island herself, but she didn't have enough energy to ask him directly about it. Since he was working, it would not be weird for her to be there. Right?

Finally her two-week honeymoon ended. She was tired of pretending that she was feeling right. She wasn't. And coming back to her apartment in Tokyo would be an occasion to stop hiding her emotions. Kyoko would meet Kanae and her other friends and find a solution. But first, she had to bid her goodbye with the Fuwa Inn in Kyoto. Her parents-in-law were waiting for them and wanted to see some photos. Then the realisation hit her. Not only she hadn't made any photo with Sho, but also she had never took a picture of Corn. Now, his image would slowly vanish and one day she would not remember his face. It petrified her more than she thought.

Luckily, her fake smiling session became so natural that no one noticed how heartbroken she was. She just showed her photos, lying that Sho was the one, who had made them. He silently agreed, since none of them wanted to confess how their two weeks looked like. "Look at this picture!" Sho's mother ordered her husband. "The look in her eyes! Oh, Kyoko-chan! You must be so in love with our son!"

The newly-wed gasped. Kyoko had not so much time to react. "Yes, it's true, but I think that this photo just shows one of the accidental looks our faces sometimes feature." This explanation did not make them happy, but Sho was relieved. 'She could not fall for that female tourist's guard, right?' This small incident reminded him of the true reason they were there. He coughed slightly, looking directly at his mother. She understood.

"Kyoko-chan, can we talk face to face for a moment?"

 **AN/ Hello everyone! No, the first episodes of Dark Moon were not including Ren's acting. They just rushed the shooting and made some changes in the scenario so as to air the drama with the new main actor as soon as possible. Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	75. Shot and leaving raw

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 75

Shot and leaving raw

He was waiting for it way too long, so it was not surprising that he couldn't hide his excitement. Kyoko looked at Sho puzzled, but decided not to ask and just follow her mother-in-law. Could he know about something and didn't share it with her? Judging from his reaction, it might have been some kind of good news. She smiled, trying to figure out what sort of thing she was to hear about. Poor Kyoko didn't know that it would not be as pleasurable as she had thought.

Sho's mother led her to the kitchen and put the kettle on. "Let me do this." Kyoko offered, getting ready to make some tea. "That's so nice of you, but you must be tired now after the long trip. Why don't you sit down?" And so she did, feeling a little bit nervous. Okami-san seemed to avoid the main topic, as if she didn't want to tell anything. Another suspicious habit of hers was looking at the door. Kyoko's mother-in-law took a glance at them and it looked like she was waiting for someone.

But nobody came. She sighed and showed that kind of face, the girl had never seen before. Okami-san looked extremely exhausted and more older. Kyoko could only compare it to the time travelling. What could be the other explanation of her change? What could be so wrong to make that lively woman act this way? For the first time in her life, the young bride thought that she would not want to hear anything form her mouth. As if she would regret listening to her.

"I was talking to Sho much more often lately. If it wasn't for you, he would never contact his parents and tell them that he was still alive." She chuckled a little, but her eyes weren't laughing with her. "I'm glad to hear it, but it's not my credit. He did it, because he wanted to." It was only a half lie, so she didn't feel bad about it. "The point of what I wanted to tell you today is that we discussed a lot about your future."

'Without me?' It was the first thing that crossed Kyoko's mind. She shook her head quickly to get rid of that ungrateful thought. "Yes?" The girl asked with a strangled voice. Sho's mother sighed once more. "First of all, we all are content that you followed Sho and helped him in making his extravagant dreams come true. We know that it must have been difficult and we will always be indebted to you." Kyoko could not find the right words. She thought that her parents-in-law had been angry about her escape form home. And now Okami-san was thanking her for doing so. The world seemed to turn upside down.

Then a silent alarm in her head rang. Their dialogue took less than two minutes or so and Kyoko was complimented twice. She wanted to trust Sho's mother, but each time someone praised her generously, she would get hurt eventually. Having bad feeling about it, the girl clenched her fist under the table to calm herself down. She must have been wrong, right?

"But now he's able to take care of himself. Shotaro grew up and more than a babysitter, he needs a wife, who can take over this inn one day." Kyoko didn't like the direction their conversation was heading towards. "You know the background of the conflict between Sho and us, don't you? He wanted to be a musician. We wanted him to inherit our ryokan one day. Two years ago we could not find a thread of understanding, but now the situation changed."

Sho's mother took a sip of her tea and Kyoko decided to do the same. Her hands were shaking and so was her mind. However she attended some acting courses, therefore she could not fail and show her fears. "What are you suggesting?" She looked intensively at her cup, so as to separate her thoughts from Okami-san's facial expression.

"Kyoko, we would love you to stay here and continue your education in order to become a great okami in the future. We made an agreement with Sho. The moment his fame fades, he would come back and become the heir of this inn. But we know him. He would not want to learn anything and we can not leave this place in his hands." The realisation hit her.

"How long?" She could only whisper. Kyoko sought some sort of comfort in her eyes, but they stayed cold and steel. "Until you reach the maturity." She sighed deeply. "Three years. That's enough for you to graduate from high school, just like you always dreamt about! Look at the positives! Not only you would spend more time with us in a quieter place, but also..." Sho's mother could not stop talking. It was her way to comfort herself. To apologise to Kyoko for doing this.

"I… I think I need a fresh air. Let me go outside… for a minute." Not looking at her face, she bowed and run away just like few days ago. This time her legs knew the direction. The only place that could erase her sadness. Would Corn be waiting for her at the forest stream? He promised that he would be there, if she needed him. And she needed him more than the air right then.

She didn't see her secret place. Maybe if she listened to the sound of the water, she would be able to find the right path, but her sobbing was too loud. Kyoko just sat down under the random three. She could not believe anything that she had heard. Then she realised that it was true and her despair was replaced with a pure fury. Did Sho hide it from her? Why was he so happy about it? Why did all of this happen?

Kyoko wanted to do something stupid to show her nonconformity. But she had no idea what it could be, so she let it go. The forest was so dark and it was so cold. Why did she end up in that kind of situation once more? She should be more aware of her surrounding. Kyoko tried to rationalise everything. Yes, the black colour dominated her view, but her eyes would get used to it eventually and she would see the route back home. Yes, it was chilly, but she could just move a little to warm herself.

Soon Kyoko was able to see every detail in the forest and her hands were not frozen. She smiled a little. It was that faint smile and it was quickly replaced with a lifeless expression. The girl that should never trust anyone became apathetic. She did not care about anything.

Kyoko just accepted her destiny.

 **END OF PART I**


	76. Life's a little colder

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 76

Life's a little colder

The fake smiling session has become her speciality. Whether it was shown to the strangers, guests or her parents-in-law, she always managed to express an endless happiness. Okami-san wasn't fooled easily – she knew that the girl must have been suffering, but she hoped deeply that it would change with a time. The only explanation of her decision was that it might have been necessary for them to continue the beautiful tradition of the local inn.

Truth be told, it was not exactly an anguish or a martyrdom whatsoever. The closest word describing her mental state would be the lack of any emotions. It was her mind's way to deal with that unexpected situation, yet it petrified Sho's parents. They wanted to talk to Kyoko and make her come back to her normal state, but she avoided any kind of conversations. Of course, if she had to she would just smile, nod and disclaim any alarming feelings. It was not a lie. There were no feelings involved in her life, so how could any of these be a problem?

Bidding Sho goodbye went smoothly. She didn't say anything, he didn't say anything thing. For the first time in their marriage life they were so compatible. Sho didn't promise that he would phone or visit her often. Or ever. Kyoko didn't demand it. They just looked at each other flatly and then he left. Nothing to cry about and noting to be mad about. She just came back to the ryokan, as if she had never left it in the first place.

The mobile phone buzzes were the most difficult part of each day, so Kyoko turned her phone off in the morning and turned it on after her working hours. Seeing missing calls from her friends reminded her of her gladness in Tokyo. Kanae was the one, who phoned her the most. Her tenacious behaviour would flatter Kyoko's heart, if she hadn't closed it. No one would ever live there and hurt her in the end. Then there were calls from Azuma brothers, the rest of the teachers and some of the students that she didn't know well. Once again, it would be touching, if she didn't have that weird designation not to let anyone be an important person to her.

A week passed and she had an unexpected guest. Kanae looked more furious than ever, but the thing that made her feel that way was Kyoko's apathy. She could not believe that her friend could change so fast without any warning signs. Moko-san tried talking to her, showing some photos of the other students and teachers and inviting her to the café to order some ice-cream (who would care that it was the beginning of the December?). Nothing worked. Annoyed and worried as she was, Kanae had to come back to the capital city. She had her first drama offer and she knew that the "old Kyoko" would be angry at her for letting that chance go.

When she wasn't working in the inn, she was catching up the material. Since the school year in Japan started in the spring, Kyoko had not so much time to waste. Studying helped her in organising the day. The equations, facts and dates occupied her head, not allowing any emotion to leak. It would be calamitous.

Kyoko worked hard and was praised by everyone. As a response she would just bow gracefully and start her fake smiling session once again. Her face started to hurt after using the muscles way too often. She didn't care. If it could prevent people from asking the questions, she was willing to continue.

Soon it was a Christmas time. The inn was expecting more customers than usually, so a day off was only a mere dream. Well, she would not celebrate it anyway, but it would be nice to have a small break. On Christmas Eve Kyoko decided to go to bed earlier, when her mother-in-law stopped her. "Are you heading upstairs already?", "If I can, of course." Another fake smile. Sho's mother got used to it, but still did not accept. "We got a package for you. I left it in your room. Why don't you check it?" She truly hoped that it was her stupid son's initiative to cheer his wife up, but again – she wasn't fooled easily. 'He could at least call.'

Kyoko was uncertain what to do. Normally, she would be overexcited to see what was inside the box, but things were not normal any longer. Could she send it back? It would mean that she was somehow emotionally engaged with that package. It was the most appropriate to simply open it and show her thanks. 'Is it Christmas present or…?' Did she tell anyone about her birthday? Her memories were blurry (another body's mechanism to reduce the mental pain) and she was not so sure. Kyoko sighed and checked the gift.

It was from Kanae. The first object was a Christmas card with the signatures of every single student and teacher from her acting school. Next to it was laying another card, this time a birthday one. The situation remained the same – everyone wished her another happy year. 'How ironic.' Another thing was a photo album. Kyoko was not aware of the fact that one of Kouki's talents was photography. He made sneaky photos during the lessons and both field trips.

She slowly touched the group photo from the Dark Moon set. The director Ogata and Tsuruga one joined them, making the half of the class blushing. Only Kyoko and Kanae had the stoic facial expressions, but it was easily visible that they enjoyed themselves. Each photo had a small note on the other side. This one was: "Don't ever forget that happiness coming from acting." How could she ever forget it?

Kyoko closed the album not wanting to release her useless feelings. But the last present was way too surprising. The DVD labelled: "the début". 'Can it be Moko-san's first role?' She closed her eyes. The desire to watch it was too hard to resist. Kyoko rushed to the living room, which was luckily empty, and played the DVD disc.

She did not expect it. It was a film from their second field trip, containing their rehearsals, the main show and the celebration afterwards. Kyoko froze, unable to look back. The video was about to end, when she saw familiar faces. Her friends stood in front of her in the small TV, looking concerned. Each one of them told her some nice words, but the most destructive one was the very end. "We miss you, Kyoko-chan! Please, come back to Tokyo!" The film finished, but she didn't turn off the TV.

Instead, she cried. It was her first mental breakdown since that fateful day. She could not stop her tears and she didn't even try to do so. Okami-san came in the room to see Kyoko in a horrendous shape. She hurried towards her and hugged her quickly. "It's okay, Kyoko-chan. It really is. And it will be. Just calm down." But the girl did not trust her any more.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I love your reviews! My friend IRL wrote down about me calling the chapter 47 "my child". Ugh, busted. Anyway – if they are any questions about the plot, I will try to answer them through the story. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	77. Reel back in

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 77

Reel back in

A month without experiencing any strong emotions was already enough to bury the sadness and the disappointment. The thing that was replaced in the place of her apathy, was the acceptance. Kyoko thought that she had accepted her fate, but it was not exactly true. Now, it was her time to find a solution how to live her life again and start enjoying it, even a little bit. So the next day she did what she had wanted to do for so long.

"Mo! Who is stupid enough to can call so early in the morning?!" Kanae frowned, as she answered her phone sleepy. She didn't check the caller's ID, since it was probably some marketing campaign representative, who thinks that calling at this hour is the only way to catch the client. Kyoko felt bad, when she heard her friend's drowsy voice, yet she was content to be in touch again.

"Moko-san!" She just shouted, knowing that it would make Kotonami-san glad. Or annoyed, but when it came to Kanae, it was hard to tell, whether she was angry or happy. "Kyoko… is that you?" Something in her timbre changed. It was much softer now. Maybe she just missed her. Or she was cautious not to scare Kyoko away. She spent the whole December, trying to get her friend back and it would be tragic to loose that opportunity.

"Who else would be stupid enough to call you so early in the morning?" Kyoko joked and chuckled a little. It was weird to laugh again. Her lungs seemed to forget that sensation. 'I should never let myself act like that ever again.' She decided. "For Kami's sake! How could you ignore me this whole time?" Kanae burst out angrily, unable to hold off her accusations. The silence on the other side of the telephone line petrified her. 'Did I overdo?'

"I'm sorry… I wasn't quite myself back then." Kyoko whispered. Moko-san took a breath of relief. "So, you're finally back to your old self?", "Yes, I am." Kotonami-san punched the air. "When are you going back to Tokyo then?" Another moment of the silence. "Um… about that… I think that it's impossible." Kyoko confessed finally.

"What do you mean that it's impossible? Were you taken hostage?!" Kanae's friend got her mobile phone a little further from her ear, since it was too loud. "Of course not. It's just...", 'Yes… what it is to me?' She wondered. Nobody prisoned her there. If she wanted, she could be in Tokyo in no time. Why did she stay in Kyoto? Kyoko didn't miss this place. Well… she missed the forest stream, but only because she had met Corn there. It was impossible to see him once again now. Why was she so emotionally attached to the inn?

"It's my own decision." Kyoko admitted. "Are you sick or something? You can't be serious now!" The girl sighed deeply. "No, I am not ill. I made up my mind actually. I… don't know where my place in the world is and I think that I need some time to figure it out. You know… to distance myself and understand some things. Especially now that I am to enrol for the local high school! It was always one of my dreams!" She sounded truly cheerful. Kanae was confused and did not know how to deal with that situation, but in the end she was glad that her friend was thinking positively.

Then Kyoko promised that she would call her at least twice a week and that she would no longer hide any secrets from her, so that Kanae would be able to intervene, if something was wrong. Kotonami-san asked her, whether she wanted to hear something about their friends. That was a rhetorical question.

"Uneki-san got another role in their next play, this time it will be even more exciting." Kyoko could tell that it must have been very exciting, since her stoical friend had said so. "He would love to see you at the première, so make sure to have a free day form work. Kouki-san, on the other hand, seems to get closer to Saito-san and it's only a matter of time until they start going out officially." Kyoko squealed, unable to hold off her emotions after hearing such a good news.

Truth be told, it was unnatural for Kanae to gossip or do any girlish things, but if it could make Kyoko feel better, she was ready to sacrifice herself. Then she told her about her job offer. "Yes, it just a supporting role, but it's still a huge step as an actress. I can already tell that the Dark Moon episode will only boost the hype." Kyoko was dumbfounded. "What do you mean? Wasn't it supposed to be aired some time ago?"

Kanae only shook her head. 'Really, that girl… . How could she not know about it?', "Do you know that Tsuruga Ren resigned from his role?" Kyoko knew it very well. Maybe even better than the reporters or the other members of his agency. 'So he actually failed his test. I should have been more helpful.' Her mood got gloomy quickly. She really hoped that the actor would pass his acting exam and bring the best Katsuki ever. Then she remembered. 'Oh, right! He even thanked me… I mean he thanked Bo. So maybe it was not that bad after all?'

"Hello, Kyoko! Are still listening to me? Mo!" The girl came back to the reality. "No, I'm so sorry! I just thought about it for a moment.", "OK, we'll just let it go. There is another actor, who replaced him. You know… he may be a big deal in the future. I can't tell why, but I've got that feeling he will surpass Tsuruga Ren after the end of Dark Moon broadcast." Somehow it made Kyoko joyless. She was to tell something, when Kanae started first.

"I have to go soon. Call me later.", "Yes, let's talk some more later." Kyoko agreed. "And… um… . " Kanae didn't hang up yet. "Happy birthday, Kyoko!" The call ended and the girl sat down on her bed to contemplate for a second. 'It really is.' She judged and headed to her work.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Yes, the story is way too dramatic, but I think it's necessary for the time being, so I'm sorry, if you don't like it! I will try to stop my demons from whispering to me what to write xp. And 77 reminds me of the Defeater of Justice 707! Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	78. From the perspective of a boy

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 78

From the perspective of a boy

Kimura Itsuki was born in a small, mountainous village far from the technology. His parents wanted to live differently, they hated the everyday rush and overpopulated regions. As a small kid, he was pretty average. He was a little chubby with that unfashionable glasses, but no one ever bullied him, since there were not so many people on his island and everyone were quite close. Whenever he thought about his childhood, he felt some kind of distant nostalgia. Life seemed different, but he didn't regret his decision to move to the city.

The first time he saw an actual television set, was when he was in the forth grade and the teacher showed her students a documentary. Itsuki still remembered the moment the film had ended and he was glaring at the TV screen, waiting for some more. That day he had started to believe in magic and even though his beliefs turned out to be wrong, he always looked at the TV with some kind of childish admiration. The teacher noticed his reaction and asked him to stay after the lesson.

The young teacher was his first love. At that time, he was more than sure that one day he would marry her and he did not let any doubts stop his dreams. She looked at him with her clever glance. No questions were needed. The teacher smiled at him and told him about the new after-school activity – the film club. But there was a small catch – he must have brought his parent's approval to join.

The next two weeks not only he was doing all of his domestic duties, but also he managed to finish his siblings' ones. His mother was starting to give up on her resolution and let her oldest son participate in that club. However his father was tenacious and believed that if he gave him his permission, Itsuki would end up being a spoiled and brainwashed child. He must have done everything to prevent it.

He always treated it as his biggest crime, but now he could only look at it as a peccadillo. The boy had forged his parents' signatures and he had delivered it to his first crush, before he changed his mind. Even if the teacher noticed his fraud, she did not say anything, just show him the classroom that the special lessons would be held.

Itsuki was enchanted. They watched some films for the children, all of them appropriate for their age. But she could just play a cheesy soap opera, he would not care. The magic was real and he admired the magicians on the other side of the screen more than his parents or teachers. From that moment his biggest dream was to become one of them. No one could stop him.

Of course, many people have tried. He didn't mind them. Itsuki was aware of the fact that it was almost impossible for a child from a village to be a professional actor (not to mention being a successful or a famous one). But "almost" was the keyword. And so he forged his parents' signatures once more to attend the drama club lessons.

The club advisor found him quite talented and he was the only one to support his decision. Even though he thought about his motive to become a professional actor childish, he was inspired by the young boy's determination. Soon he was his mentor and a father figure. To this day Itsuki was keeping a special place in his heart for that teacher.

The problems started, when he was in a secondary school. Somehow his mother found out about his lie and notified her husband about it. Not only the boy was grounded, but his dad called the school to make sure he would not take part in any kind of after-school activities. A rebellious phase began. Itsuki was not very proud of that part of his life, but if it wasn't for his mindless actions, he might never become an actor.

He did not drink any alcohol or did not smoke like his peers did, since he knew that it would be disastrous for his health and being diseased would prevent him from appearing on the silver screen. Moreover he resisted any kind of dangerous actions like riding a motorcycle for the same reason. However he did other "safe" activities. He would run away from home for the night time and come back before his family woke up. As weird as it may sound, he found a group of teenagers, who wanted to be a star in the future. So they were preparing some amateur plays or even a short videos (one of them had a mobile phone, which was the rarest treasure).

Unluckily, his father found the truth and the real hell started. They argued almost every day or did not look at each other for whole two weeks or more. His mother could not stand it and one day he told him that he can change his mind about the acting or pack his things and leave. In her wildest dreams she would not think that her son would chose the latter. But he did.

Another secret that he hid from his parents was that he had found a part-time job in the closest town. Itsuki's savings were not the biggest ones, but they had to be fine for a while. So he packed, apologised to his siblings that he would leave them alone and left his family house at the age of sixteen.

Never before had he felt so free back then. Yes, the life was very difficult for a teenager living alone in a big city, but he did not regret his decision. His first year "as an adult" he spent on some other part-time jobs, trying to save as much as he could. Itsuki had no friends nor any relatives around him, so every mistake could lead him to the hunger or the homelessness. But he didn't loose his enthusiasm. He just did his best and learnt how to be responsible. Finally, he had enough money to start thinking about making his biggest dream to come true.

He didn't know that the dreams could turn into the nightmares easily.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! Honestly, I quite like this chapter. It's something new and refreshing. The next one will (probably) answer the most intriguing question – why does Itsuki hate Tsuruga Ren so much? So please, keep on reading and I will keep on trying to make it as entertaining as possible. I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	79. The right choice in life

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 79

The right choice in life

It was one and a half of the year, since he moved in to Tokyo, when he decided that it was high time to start thinking about his career. To precise - Itsuki was speculating about it every day as it was his source of the strength, but now he had to prepare a special plan in order not to fail. Having no real experience nor money or connections, he could not take part in the auditions for the biggest acting agencies in Tokyo. He still had a chance to get accepted, but he was secretly scared of being rejected, so he didn't take a risk. Itsuki sacrificed way to much so as to become a true actor. Any kind of defeat could break his heart.

His appearance changed a lot, since he was a small child. Knowing that being attractive was the half of the battle in that industry, he exercised a lot and soon he lost all of the unnecessary kilograms. Itsuki wasn't typically handsome. His nose was little to big and so were his eyes. They made him look more girlishly, but he decided to use it as his advance. However it was the asymmetry of his face that brought him a lot of attention. There was something mysterious in his expression, as if he had a very dark past. Some people were enchanted with it, while the others were… scared.

Maybe it was his fine presence that let him progress in his career? Itsuki wasn't sure. The memory of his first casting was one of the most colourful in his mind. He remembered the clothes that he was wearing that day (cheap ones, but everything looked stylish on him), all of the traffic signs that were on his way to the agency and even the colour of the carpet in a waiting room and the smell of old books that were laying on the bookshelf. Itsuki should have been stressed, but instead he could only feel the excitement running through his veins. It was so natural for him to be there. As if he had finally found his place in the word.

He knew that he was accepted the moment he looked in the eyes of the judges. Sensing his forthcoming success, he chilled out completely and ended up being the most calm of all the contestants. Needless to say, he got accepted into a small, yet promising, entertaining agency. Fun fact – when he left the stage, he felt so drained and ashamed of his cocky behaviour that he needed a full day of rest to come back to his usual state.

The next months were probably the most intense ones in his life. Itsuki always thought that being a part of an agency would make him a real actor in no time. His beliefs could not be more mistaken. He started as an errands boy, running from the one building to the other (most often with a cup of coffee for his superior) for the minimum wage in Japan. The boy would come back home in the middle of the night and head to his workplace early in the morning. But his efforts were worthwhile.

One day he saw an elegant, middle-aged man in the entrance of his agency. He felt some force from above and so he approached him. "Is there any way I can help you, sir?" The businessman glanced at him suspiciously, but his expression changed quickly, when he gave him a second look. "Perfect!" He just mumbled. "Did you ever think about becoming a professional actor? You seem to be perfect for the role, I'm currently looking for."

He was eighteen, when he appeared on the silver screen for the first time. Yes, the role the man was talking about was a minor one and Itsuki had barely said five lines, but it still counted. He became an actor. Unknown, unpopular and probably not even a good one, but still – an actor. Itsuki really desired to call his family and share his success, but he gave up on that idea. They never supported him and probably they wouldn't bother to go to the cinema to see his son after two years. So he phoned his previous club advisor. Being praised by him felt almost like being congratulated by his father.

Itsuki expected that someone would get interested in him after his first part in a film, but nothing unusual had happened. He still was getting some coffee for his boss and it seemed that it would not change in the future. So he decided to find another role by himself. The man didn't like thinking about that part of his life. Every audition was the same – he would do his best and never be called back with an offer.

Soon enough, the luck was on his side once more. He got a role in a commercial. Thanks to the… um… specificity of the show (him being shirtless), Itsuki gained a lot of popularity. Especially the teenagers got excited about the new face in that ad and the man was invited to the talk show about the starlets in the entertaining industry. He got a dozen of the offers.

Finally, his agency started to treat him seriously. No more running, no more coffee and being laughed at. The second thing was the one he despised the most. To this day he managed to survive without that source of the caffeine. Most probably, Itsuki would never drink it with a pleasure. He accepted some of the offers and became very busy. But he enjoyed it. Eventually he was the magician, he dreamt of being since he was a child. Life seemed to be so exciting at that time.

Then he met him. He was the total opposite of him – calm, approachable and so experienced, even though Itsuki had never heard of him before. That man seemed to be born with a silver spoon and ability to get everything he wanted easily. He didn't dislike him at the very beginning, but soon his jealousy changed his attitude towards Tsuruga Ren. Particularly after the thing that he had done to him.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I'm so glad that someone asked about the origin of the title: "Keep on trying". Drum roll please… it's from MIKA's song "Dr. John." Well… almost every single chapter's title (except for the first two) were inspired by his songs or covers. Dr. John is a piece about a man, drowning his sorrows in a bar. He visualised his parents being disappointed in him. Then he asked his imaginary friend (called Dr. John):**

 ** _What am I doing I wrong?  
Cuz I keep on trying  
Something ain't going  
Something ain't going on_**

 **I think that it somehow suits Kyoko's situation. Her mother abandoned her, since her daughter was never good enough for her. The girl tried her best, but all of her efforts were useless. And so she wondered what the reason of her failure was. Because things were not the way they should have been. This song may be depressing, but also full of hope, because maybe one day people will understand, what mistakes they are making. Needless to say, I'm in love with this piece. Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	80. With a crash and burn

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 80

With a crash and burn

There are some things that can not ever be forgiven. It was one of them. Itsuki was a promising actor back then – he acted in some dramas and the commercials, but his fame was still not as spectacular as it could have been. He needed something more ambitious. A role that could show the best of his assets. A role that could put him on a different level of advancement. So it was natural that the moment he saw an opportunity, he had to check it out and do his best.

The film was based on a popular novel. It was not one of those cheesy romances. The story was dark, mysterious and engrossing. In other words – perfect for his image and his innate abilities. Feeling that the destiny was leading his way, he quickly got all of the information about the casting and the role itself. Being more than prepared, he walked into the building, where his fate was to be decided.

Just as he had expected, the crowd was overwhelming, yet he didn't feel dispirited or anxious. He was in the right place in a right time and nothing could have changed it. Or so he believed. The knowledge about the amount of the people interested in that role suggested that every contestant had only few seconds to impress the judges. The pressure made a lot of them feel insecure, but Itsuki was different. He put on the mask of the professionals and concentrated on his task.

The first stage of audition was a piece of cake for him. He passed with flying colours, since the only thing he had have to do was to make a scary face. Itsuki didn't even have to try. His natural, facial expression was good enough. One of the judges told him that if he wanted to be a professional actor, he had to learn how to avoid making such a scary faces. The man bowed, thanked for the advice and left the stage to get prepared for the next part.

The second competition was to play a scene from a scenario with a random partner. That's how Kimura Itsuki had met Tsuruga Ren. The script of "Mars Cluster" was a very complex and complicated one, but all of the actors could choose, which part they wanted to act. Itsuki was seriously worried that his workmate would have a weird taste and pick out the worst text excerpt. Luckily, they had similar aestheticism and came up with a great idea. They could present their strongest points and the amount of lines was exactly the same, so no conflicts occurred.

Itsuki thought that he had found a potential friend, if co-actors could be considered as close to each other. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt terrible lonely. Centring all attention on his work, he barely had some time to talk to someone not business-related. Coming back to the empty bedsitter could be very depressing. From time to time, he would call his mentor, but his teacher became a grandfather and Itsuki could sense that he didn't want to waste his time on him.

They were magnificent. Both Ren and Itsuki played their best, mesmerising the audience, other competitors and the judges. Some whispers could be heard that one of them must win the casting. The actors smiled at each other, congratulating and bowing hurriedly. Soon the results were announced. Only ten contestants passed to the final stage.

Itsuki and Ren were on the list. The former started laughing from joy. This audition was so far the most difficult one, yet he managed to get into the last part of it. He knew that a début was something that every actor was aiming at, but in his wildest dreams he did not predict that he would be one of the two favourites. Smiling brightly, he told his co-actor that he would go to the vending machine.

He met Ren on his way back. "Oh, good thing that I bumped into you. Here, take it." Itsuki handed him a can of soda and a chocolate bar. "You will need a lot of energy to beat me." He joked, still smiling like an idiot. "Thank you. How much was it? I will pay..." Tsuruga-san started, but the other man stopped him. "No, no. It's a thank you gift. Let's work hard during the next stage!" Ren smiled back. "May the best man win." He was to leave, when he remembered something. "They told us, when you were absent, that the next stage will be held in room 203 in the second building." Itsuki thanked his new friend and decided that he had enough time to go to the bathroom as well.

Then he entered the room 203 to see that he was the only person there. 'Where are the other actors?' Itsuki thought, when he heard the sound of closing doors. He hurried towards the door knob and pressed it violently, but nothing happened. The man started to shout, but no one could hear him. "Help! I'm trapped in here!" Itsuki looked around and searched for a phone, since he didn't have a mobile one. He panicked.

When he finally broke free, he run towards the room, where the first part of audition took place to see the judges. It was too loud to hear, what they were talking about, but it was easy to guess. Tsuruga Ren, his potential friend, bowed in front of them, thanking for something. 'So he got the role, huh?' Itsuki had two options: he could interfere and told them that someone had locked him in the wrong room or leave that place without saying a word.

His newly-found pride advised him to do the latter. What would he say anyway? "I'm sorry for being late, but I got stuck in the other building. Oh, and by the way, I was mocked by the actor, who won the audition. You should dismiss him and hire me instead?" He would rather die than accuse Tsuruga-san and humiliate himself. But there was still one thing that he could do.

To take revenge on Ren.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for the unusual delay. Yesterday I had problems with the Internet connection and this morning, when I finally had a chance to post this chapter, my computer broke down and corrupted that file. So I had to write it once more. Ugh… . I will do my best to add two chapters today, but it may be beyond my abilities. Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	81. Sound just like a melody

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 81

Sound just like a melody

Everything fell into place. Tsuruga Ren acknowledged him as a rival, gained his trust and took advance of his naivety. Itsuki tried to gather some information not to judge anyone too early, but all the facts showed a sad picture. Someone deceived him in order to get a dream role. And that person succeed effortlessly thanks to Itsuki's foolishness. Another film like "Mars Cluster" might not have been shot in the close future. Did he loose his chance to become famous quickly?

Finally his agency started to treat him seriously. They gave him his own manager – a young female with a surname that could not be remembered easily. He liked her professionalism. Never being late, never making mistakes, she was someone perfect for such an ambitious man as him. The only flaw was that she seemed to be interested in him in a romantic way. Itsuki was already married with his job and no other person could find a place in his heart.

He decided to be patient with his career. The man would progress slowly, but steadily. Accepting every incoming offers, he became someone recognisable, but not as famous as Tsuruga Ren. His first film ended up being a blockbuster, opening many doors for him. He chose a path of a gentleman, playing as a nice and innocent man most of the time. Soon he became a successful model and the face of R'Mandy brand, while Itsuki was still playing the supporting roles.

Ren became his obsession, the reason of his sleepless nights. His agent was curios what the reason of his strong hatred was, but he didn't talk with her about his private life. However, it didn't bother him, when he asked her to follow every step that Ren took and to notify him about everything new right away. Maybe, if that woman wasn't so badly in love with him, she would find that situation suspicious and consider arranging an appointment with a psychologist. But she was in love with Itsuki and she quickly found some sort of explanation of his weird behaviour.

It took him a few months, maybe even a year to find another up-and-coming project. The director was looking for a fresh face, someone outstanding, who could conquer the heart's of young women. Itsuki suited the vision very well and soon he found himself being a male lead for the first time.

Sadly, the film itself was terrible. "Too pretentious.", "Overblown." or "Botched and pathetic" were the first reviews. The audience measurement was so low that the flick was quickly announced as one of the worst of the year. Itsuki's film could not be compared to the Ren's début, which made Itsuki mad. Why did Tsuruga-san's achieve success so easily, when he was struggling every day? Was cheating the only way to survive in the entertaining industry?

He really didn't hope so. The man spent a lot of his nights with his eyes closed, thinking about his childhood. The first documentary he had seen, the film club and the drama one. The joy coming from acting. Only acting. Not looking for a better role to surpass his rival. Only acting. Each of those evenings was very painful for him and so he decided to give up on his plan to revenge. There was not a single chance to make Ren regret his sin. What else could he do?

That night he was woken up by his mobile phone (he bought one after that "incident"). It was his manager. She only told him the address and ordered to get there as soon as possible. Itsuki didn't feel like starting a new adventure that day, but some silent voice in his head whispered that it might have been his dream opportunity. 'Why did she tell me to visit the Dark Moon's set?' He wondered, when he checked the map. Itsuki knew about Ren's new role, but he wasn't very curious about it. Yet another role to prove that Tsuruga-san was a better actor than Kimura-san. Why should he care?

When he entered the building, he instantly knew that something weird was going on. He asked the first person that he noticed about the situation. She avoided answering, probably suspecting that he was a reporter. But her silence only convinced him that something unusual was happening. Soon, he found his manager and asked her about the details.

"There's no time to talk! Hurry! You will see it yourself!" And he really would. Looking at his biggest opponent making a lot of minor mistakes was like the balm to his heart. His acting wasn't the worst, but it wasn't the same level of advancement people would expect form Tsuruga Ren as well. "What's going on?" Itsuki whispered to his manager. "The acting test. He seems to be failing it." Her excitement was quite morbid. "And if my predictions are true, they will be searching for a substitute. I don't want to brag about it, but I know someone, who is able to help you in getting this role. You only have to agree and let me do this."

Itsuki hesitated. The question from the previous night reminded of itself. Was cheating the only way to survive in the entertaining industry? Maybe it was the truth and he was failing thanks to his sense of fair-play. Maybe he really should have considered that offer?

"No." He answered. "It's immoral. If I am to get this role, I will do this with my own efforts. Anyway, thank you for your concern. It really means a lot to me that you are willing to do this for my sake." His agent lost her mind for a moment, daydreaming about her client. Itsuki didn't mind. It was nice to have someone like her on his side. However, if he wanted to take a revenge on anyone, he would do it properly. Without anyone's help or fraud.

That day he started to believe in himself. And it paid off.

 **AN/ Hello everyone once again! I did it! * dancing like a lunatic * It is the second chapter for today, some kind of "I'm sorry" one. Did you notice that "Mars Cluster" was indeed Ren's début (chapter 139, page 11 or so)? Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	82. Could build a symphony

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 82

Could build a symphony

Just like his manager expected, the next casting for Ren's replacement was being held few days later. Itsuki had his schedule cleared so as to practise his acting. Faking attraction towards women wasn't new to him. No, he didn't flirt or act like a playboy, he just had enough experience from his previous projects. Feeling confident, he took part in that audition and he got that role. Still not believing his luck, he phoned his mentor, promising to himself that it would be the last call.

He congratulated him, of course, but something was not right. His voice was calm, but not as reassuring as always. "Sensei… did something happen to your family?" It was the only reasonable explanation that came to his mind. "No, it's nothing like that. You shouldn't worry! Just concentrate on your task and make our small island proud of you!" He could cheer Itsuki up every time, but still he wasn't convinced. Joking about their home town was a well-know distraction in their region. "If you say so..." He gave up, predicting that he would not get that information form him.

Soon, his skills were acknowledged and his own Katsuki won the hearts of the audience. The first episode was very successful, but the film crew and the actors still had a lot of work to do so as to surpass the first version of Dark Moon. It excited him. Itsuki was finally feeling satisfied by his acting and the pressure only made him more motivated. Not only he had a chance to defeat his enemy and rival, but also it was a catalyst for his career.

The Christmas was coming quickly and that year he had no plans for that day as always. The drama was being broadcast and the only thing he could do was to help with a promotion. His company appreciated his enthusiasm and came up with a great idea. Well… they thought it was a great idea. Itsuki hated it, since it was not that kind of even he would like to support, but in the end he agreed. He would take every chance to outmatch Tsuruga Ren.

'At least it's not a kissing booth.' It was the only comforting thought that he could create. Standing in the centre of the city with a huge smile on his face and making photos with some creepy teenagers and older ladies was definitely not the way he wanted to celebrate that day. Trying to hide his mixed feelings he posed gracefully, joyfully or foolishly, depending on the desire of his fan. 'At least I am recognisable.' His mind made an effort and formed another unconvincing advantage. Itsuki didn't like that event, because he felt as if he was another man dressed up as a Santa Claus. Easily replaceable.

He came back home more tired than ever. It was difficult to act as if he enjoyed it. He liked his fans and appreciated their loyalty to meet him during that important day, but sometimes they were overreacting. From time to time, he dreamt that he would meet a random, small child, who would look at him like he was a magician. Then he would give him all those pieces of advice that he had wanted to hear so badly, when he was younger. More than anything else, he only wanted to be seen as a professional.

'Taking about the fans… . Maybe I should open these fan letters from earlier?' That day could not be worse, so what else could he risk? Answering that mails was exhausting and unprofitable, yet he managed to continue doing so. He didn't want to let anyone down. His fans cared for him. They even sent some presents for Christmas, after he confessed during one of his interviews that he usually spent the holidays alone without any gifts. 'It's somehow nice.' Itsuki had to admit.

Then he noticed one weird letter. The first odd thing was the envelope. It wasn't snow-white like most of the others. The texture was patchy with some brown marking. It reminded him of the paper that was commonly used on his island. Anxious as he was, Itsuki slowly took the envelope and checked the sender. "Kimura Leeon" was written. Those two words made his heart beat quicker. 'Did something bad happen?!' He opened it hurriedly, sensing something terrible waiting for him.

 _Dear Brother!_

 _It's been a while, hasn't it? You could at least call us from time to time~!_ ヽ(ﾟДﾟ„)ノ

He had to take a short break. 'How can anyone use emoji in a mail?' He sighed from relief. It sounded like a positive message. Maybe things were OK in his home town and he was just panicking without a reason?

 _But I don't mind, you know me! Since you're famous now, you can buy me something from the big city as an indemnity! Lolol, just kidding. But I won't oppose you, if you really want tho… ._

 _Anyway! How is your life? We're proud of you in here. The whole town is acting crazy to buy a TV and watch "our star". Can you imagine it? Because I still have some difficulties to do so! How could you success before me?!_

 _Things are OK. That bastards still fool around, but it was predictable. You can send them some autographs and they will sell it effortlessly! So much money, so much… . Dad is still mad, but he would probably start acting normal, if you phoned him, you know? Well… if he can act normal . And mom… . Honestly, I'm a little bit worried. Ever since you left, she has been blaming herself. It is her fault partly, I agree, but for her sake – please react and do something!_

 _You can visit us any time! Few months ago some super clever archaeologists found the ruins in out town and somehow it became a tourist attraction! For me it looks like a pile of rock blocks, but who I am to judge? Now, even more ships enter our small port. It's a great opportunity, you know~?_

 _And me? Oh, you know, the usual stuff. Still messing around and making our parents embarrassed. Maybe I should move out just like you did? Please, give me some adviceee!_

 _I hope you won't chicken out and you will respond._

 _Lots of kisses_

 _Your weird sister_

 _Kimura "Leeon" Leiko_

Itsuki decided that it would be the last mail for that day. He did not expect his little sister to contact him, since she was the one to be the most angry about his decision about moving out. 'Maybe she was hurt the most?' He suspected. 'Should I contact her?' Itsuki really wasn't sure. It would be nice to hear from her once more, but was it worth it? He got used to being alone. Not knowing what kind of emotions it could bring back, he hid the letter with a resolution not to read it ever again.

It was probably the biggest mistake in his life.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! That's the end of "1-2 chapters about Itsuki". I should have predicted it long ago. It's impossible for me to stop writing about something, if it interests me. And I really started to like this character. I have so much to tell about him, but I guess I would overdo the topic and bore you. Announcement! I'm going to take a short holiday break from writing! I need some time to think over all of the things I am to describe and I want them to be perfect. Not to mention the amount of domestic duties that I am expected to accomplish. BUT I'm going to create a special Christmas chapter with your favourite pairing ~! Sounds impossible now, doesn't it? It will be posted on my blog (cromarry dot blogspot dot com), so make sure to check it out later! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


	83. Winters cold spring erases

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 83

Winters cold spring erases

Three years have passed as if it were a matter of a day. However, even if it was the strongest desire of a man's heart, that time could not be erased. And everyone has to find a way to deal with the changes in their lives, no matter if they were good or bad. Some found it easy, but most of them still struggled, searching for a way, for a path that would lead them to their happy endings. There must have been a solution, they believed it with all of their hearts. But three years have passed by and it didn't seem like anything helpful would happen.

"You can tell that you've changed a lot, Kyoko-chan." Sho's mother stood on the doorstep of Kyoko's room, as always, observing her daughter-in-law attentively. The girl decided to take a risk and not to pay too much attention to her, since she had a reasonable excuse. She was packing her things and getting ready to move to Tokyo. This time she decided to check everything carefully and not bewail leaving anything later.

"Do you really think so?" Kyoko asked a few moments later. "I didn't notice." Okami-san smiled a little. "Of course you didn't, since it's all about you, but you can trust me with this – you're not the same girl you were a few years earlier. The teenage Kyoko couldn't be this calm no matter the reason." The girl smiled faintly, trying not to be rude. It was weird to be referred to as a mature Kyoko, the opposite of the teenage one. As if she was a totally different person. 'Maybe I really am?' Maybe that part of her had already died.

The younger Kyoko would be overly excited about getting a chance to live with Sho after all this waiting. She would pack herself in a big rush, not taking care of every necessary object. Right now, she would already be on her way to Tokyo, probably on a fast train. She smiled honestly this time, not sure if it was a smile of happiness or regret. Whatever the motive, she was tranquil, just like Sho's mother had mentioned.

"We are all proud of you. You graduated from high school with flying colours and even when we proposed that you can live with Shotaro right away, you decided to wait until your education here as a future okami ends." It was rare to hear a compliment from her, but that day Kyoko didn't feel faltered. Truth be told, she chose to stay there a little longer, because she didn't want to go back. Yes, meeting her friends would be nice, but what about Sho? She could count on her fingers how many times they talked to each other. Not to mention that she would only use one hand to count the amount of times he visited her. How could she come back as if she wasn't alone for the last three years?

If her doubts were visible on her face, no one actually cared. She was just stressed. Who wouldn't be? It looked like a separation, not a healthy relationship. Meeting with a husband after this long would be difficult to anyone. However, everyone thought that things would work out the moment they saw each other again. Kyoko really doubted that. If he didn't contact her, it could only mean two things – he was preoccupied with his work, which was a probable scenario or he just didn't feel like being with her. Sho could even find a lover.

But her mind refused to believe in that last option. Deep down in her heart she hoped that he was just uncomfortable with their situation and thought that it would be easier for her to endure those cold and lonely years without him. If he showed her more attention, she might have suffered more. 'Yes, it must be the case. I shouldn't worry too much.' She desperately tried to comfort herself.

"OK. All packed." Kyoko soon announced. "Are you sure? Please, check it twice." "Of course I will." And so she did. The time really flew by quickly. She got used to living with Sho's parents. Having her dream (more or less) high school experience, learning new skills, such as how to take care of the inn and how to be more self-reliant were positive aspects of those weird circumstances. Maybe it wasn't her own will to live her life that way, but she never complained about it, not even once. Only someone as strong as Kyoko could behave like that.

She said farewell to her parents-in-law and hurried to the train. It was a nice sensation, having someone to miss you. The girl smiled a little again. The warm wind blew her skinny scarf, reminding her that it was the end of the spring. She graduated in March, spent about two months in the ryokan to get to know it better and now in the middle of May she was finally coming back to Japan's capital city. 'I wonder how things changed for the others and what awaits me there.'

Not what, but who, to precise. The second she left the train a huge amount of arms hugged her, not letting her take a breath and greet her friends. Kyoko laughed cheerfully and it was the most honest laughter she had experienced in a long time. When she released herself from the group embrace, she was greeted upon arrival by every single person.

Kanae was the first one, since she was her best friend and no one disagreed. "Mo! What took you so long?!" "Haha, I was just taking a break from school." "You could take it here, mo! It's good to see you." She whispered the last part. Then there were the Azuma brothers and Saito-san. Kyoko looked at them closely and she stopped breathing the moment she noticed something gold on Naoko's ring finger.

"How long and why didn't you tell me earlier?!" The woman's cheeks became ruby, the same colour as the stone in her engagement ring. "It was a surprise? Oh, you know! You can't announce something like that via the phone!" Naoko defended herself. "I couldn't agree more!" Kyoko nodded and then she hugged her friend and her fiancé. "Congratulations Kouki-san! You finally had the guts to do so!" "Hey! Don't be like that! I was always brave!" The older brother whined. "Except for the things connected to Naoko!" Uneki giggled and soon it turned out to be true laughter. Everyone joined him.

Kyoko tried not to look around and show her disappointment. It was such a beautiful reunion! She could not kill the mood only because her husband did not appear. 'He must be working now.', "He's not." Kanae whispered to her ear, letting her know that she said her thought loud. "And he's here." Moko-san did not point him, not to look suspicious, but she just moved her head at the right direction.

There he was, standing in the shadow with his cap and sunglasses. Kyoko couldn't read his expression, since it was too dark, but her brain did not care at all. Her legs moved against her will and soon she was in front of the man she loved. In front of the man, who abandoned her.

 **AN/ Happy New Year! I'm back! This time with a Beta Reader Athena7787 (well-known as the author of "Reverse Cinderella"). Let's greet her and show some love, since she's to improve the quality of this fan fiction. Thank you for the waiting! I wish you all the best in the new year, have a great day and see you soon~!**

 **BN: Can I title this the beta note? Haha! Thank you for welcoming me into this story. I look forward to working with Cromarry to make this fan fiction as good as we can get it! Have a happy new year, and thank you for your support!**


	84. Drive this craziness away

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 84

Drive this craziness away

'Kami, it's so tense and humiliating! How should I react?' However, the gods that day chose not to interfere and avoided giving any clues. Stressing as it was, Kyoko calmed herself down and glanced over at Sho to estimate his current mood. He grew at least two more centimetres, but she needed more time to check it up precisely. In the end, it was an important measure, if it was about her dolls. 'Come to think of it, I haven't made any of these lately.' She found it funny that in this unusual situation her brain was able to produce such a weird thought. Then she looked at him once more and that happiness vanished.

"How long are they planning to stare at each other? Mo! We gave that bastard a chance to make it up to her and that's his response?" Naoko patted Kanae on the shoulder. "It's not like we didn't predict it. Maybe he's just too shy to show some affection in front of her friends?" But even Saito-san didn't believe in her own words. He was an entertainer after all. Timidity was out of the question in his case.

She kept a close eye on Uneki at the same time. He was behaving properly, since they made him promise that he would not cause a scene, but he clenched his fists and created that weird sound, as if something was boiling inside his head. 'Probably the thought of beating that guy.' Naoko looked upward, searching for some help from the higher power. But those voices from the other side were as quiet as ever. Suddenly, Uneki looked at her with some dangerous spark in his eyes. 'Or the thought of killing him.' Naoko assessed coldly.

"Any ideas how to deal with it?" She whispered to her fiancé. Kouki shook his head reluctantly. "I shouldn't be the one speaking, when I want to teach that guy a lesson about responsibility and sensitivity. With my fists." Naoko could not help, but giggle. "Now I've got a proof that you are related to Uneki." She kissed his cheek lightly. They observed the events for a few more seconds, when Kouki began: "Oh, for Kami's sake! I really regret agreeing to your stupid proposition!"

His fiancée didn't complain that he had just called her idea "stupid", since she started to think about it exactly the same way. After Kyoko's honeymoon they were extremely worried, when she hadn't came back to Tokyo with her husband. The group of friends tried to press on him and get to know the reason of her absence, but their efforts did not result in him spilling beans. Kanae had to visit Kyoto once more to get all of the answers.

When they finally got them, a true hell started. Both girls had to watch over Uneki in turns so as not to let him murder Sho. Although Kanae and Kouki wanted him to suffer as well, Naoko took the lead and ordered not to hurt him, unless Kyoko told them her point of view. Her plan was the most reasonable one, because it wouldn't cause them to be incarcerated. Hence they all agreed. Well… except Uneki, but his mental state made him loose his franchise.

The day Kyoko called back was like a godsend. At long last they could rationally sum up all of the gathered information. "She told me that she can come back, but she doesn't want to, because it's her free will to stay at the ryokan." Kanae announced. "As if it could be true! I bet all my life savings that they had given her a sheet with things that she had to say." Uneki sputtered and cursed. "Good thing that you don't have any of these." Kouki tried to joke and lighten the mood, but no one felt better.

They sat in an unpleasant silence for five minutes, each one of them fighting with their own demons and wondering, whether it was moral to let her do whatever she wanted. "Ugh, I don't get it! How did we end up in that situation?! We should have stopped her that day and not allow her to marry that bastard!" Naoko shouted out of the nowhere, surprising everyone.

"I hate it, but we must make up our minds. Any suggestions?" The quietness darkened the atmosphere. "OK. So let's just stick with my idea." She proposed. "We will approve her plans and encourage her, whatever choice she makes. It's her life after all." "We can't do this! What about Shotaro? Will he get away with that?" Uneki protested. "For the time being… yes. Once more, it's Kyoko's life and she should be the one to decide if or how to punish her husband." The boy didn't seem to be convinced by Naoko's statement. "Oh, come on! We know Kyoko-chan! She may be a yea-sayer, but she's nobody's fool! The moment she realises the trap that they set, she would make them regret doing it!", 'But when will that moment happen?' No one really wanted to say it loud.

The day of her return definitely wasn't the day it would take place. Kyoko tried her best not to show her anxiety. It felt like an eternity, when Sho said casually: "Sup?" Uneki's blood was up and if it wasn't for Naoko's alertness, he would doubtlessly do something unforgivable. The girl grabbed his hand and stopped her future brother-in-law from making a fatal decision. "Don't do anything thoughtless!" She hissed into his ear. "Believe me or not, but it's well-planned." He growled.

At the same time, Kyoko smiled tentatively and greeted her husband after a long parting. His bad frame-of-mind disappeared, so the girl made a risk. She came closer and hugged Sho. And he hugged her back.

 **AN/ Happy ending? Nah, as if I could let that happen! Hello everyone! Today I had to come back to school, just to get to know that the next two weeks will abound in exams :( . But I will still try to update daily! I hope you have a wonderful day and hope to see you soon~!**

 **BN: Hello again everybody! I had to go back to school today as well. However, I will work to make sure the quality of the story does not deteriorate. Thank you for your support**!


	85. Like a cage with a tiger

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 85

Like a cage with a tiger

'A big fuss about nothing.' It was the first thing that he thought at the very moment he saw Kyoko being hugged by the whole group. Her friends were a pain in the neck for the last three years and Sho was relieved that they would finally give him some peace of mind. Especially that tall one with dark eyes, he was the most annoying. Each time they met, Uneki looked like he had lost his punching bag and was looking for some kind of substitute. Sho wasn't aware of the fact that he was extremely close to the truth.

When that repulsive and cheesy scene ended, Kyoko's comrades let her greet him. He wasn't content that he was 'second rate' welcoming committee, but it gave him a chance to stare at her without being noticed. Something in her indeed altered. His mother was blabbing about her change, but he listened with half an ear. Sho was used to her exaggerating, however now he had to admit she might have had a point. It wasn't her hair growing longer or her body becoming more feminine. Her walking style still became more graceful. She stepped with a previously unknown confidence and didn't look like the little orphan Annie. Her aura made him gulp.

Kyoko looked at Sho, as she approached him with an unreadable expression. 'There she goes… . Let's keep it cool.' He decided as his face hardened, giving off some gloomy vibes. The girl obviously had a lot of mixed feelings about it. She was avoiding his gaze, while trying to observe him, but not to let it be seen. Sho smiled in his mind. She was definitely having a hard time, but so was he. There was no time to comfort anyone.

Their small battle started. Showing no emotions, looking bored, acting as if they weren't separated for three years. He was good at it. Sometimes she would open her mouth to say something, but she would close it right away. He had a lot of time to tease her more, since his mother made sure that he had taken his day-off, however her friends looked as if they would destroy him if he continued behaving this way.

"Sup?" His usual greeting made them more angry, but he enjoyed it somehow. "Hello!" Kyoko bowed, but differently than she usually did. It wasn't so quick and deep, yet still very respectful. 'It seems like my mother really did her best.' The girl in front of him… no, woman… was mature and tranquil. If it wasn't for her appearance, he would not recognize her. His composure dropped and he finally expressed some of his true feelings.

And then she hugged him. It was too fast to take a step back or to stop her. When he felt her little hands embracing him, Sho realized that she really wasn't the same person he thought he had known. His arms found his way to her body and he slightly returned her gesture. Kyoko closed her eyes, still not believing that it was happening. She was ready to be rejected, but the events turned out differently. 'Could it be that we will start acting as a normal, married couple?'

On the other hand, Sho had his eyes opened to observe her friends. He already suspected Uneki to be in love with Kyoko, because he had left the church during their wedding ceremony. The only other explanation of his behaviour was the fact that he was an actor, so it was natural for him to act dramatically. Sho's doubts were gone, when he saw Uneki's anger. 'He's jealous, but she's only mine. Maybe I should make it clear between us.' No test of the physical abilities was promising, since Uneki was quite athletic. Nevertheless, Sho could play dirty.

His grip strengthened and he got Kyoko even closer to him. Not waiting for her reaction, he tilted his head and kissed her passionately, looking directly into Uneki's eyes. Maybe it was the gods' intervention that Kouki grabbed his brother's arm, right before Sho's deceitful move. Otherwise the young musician might have ended up with his nose broken at best. "I'm gonna kill him!" The actor mumbled, and it seemed to be cut-and-dried. "Calm down!" Naoko's ordered him quietly. "You don't want her to see you like this, not to mention that you are behaving the way he wanted you to."

That very sentence made Uneki come back to his senses. Luckily, when the kiss ended and Kyoko was released from Sho's embrace, her ex-teacher looked as if he was brooding about some distant stuff, nothing connected to that incident. The girl's cheeks flared out in the most intense red colour one had ever seen. 'She needs a break.' Thought Kanae, atypically quiet that day. "OK, so it seems like we all greeted you properly..." She looked at Sho with a hidden disapproval. "… and you must be pretty tired after your trip. How about we walk you home?"

Kyoko paled unexpectedly, which would be funny, if the situation was amusing in any way. "But we've only met after this long time! You can't just leave me yet!" She protested, making her friends smile faintly. "You've become spoilt! Mo!" "It's not like we're bidding you another goodbye. We will visit you tomorrow, if you want." Naoko proposed, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. "It would be great..." The girl answered shyly, not wanting to act like a pampered child.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" Uneki started, looking at Sho. "You guys can go ahead, we will catch you soon." Some alerted eyes were given, but no one flew in the face of his decision. "You've better hurry, since my time is priceless." Sho whispered so Uneki was the only one to hear it. The man took a deep breath and unclenched his fist. "And I've got a lot to catch up with Kyoko." Shotaro smiled unambiguously, which was like waving a red flag at the bull. 'Gods, please forgive for what I'm to do.' Uneki prayed in his mind.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! No creative note today, since I'm so tired! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**

 **BN: Hello! Since I am not as tired, I will try to leave a creative note using my limited knowledge. How was your break, if you had one? It's amusing going back to school and noticing the tired looks on everyone's faces. That is what coffee is for. Thank you all, and see you tomorrow!**


	86. Rather be crazy

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 86

Rather be crazy

'You don't want her to see you like this.' That sentence echoed in his mind, making him drop his resolution. 'Not only do I not want her to see me like that, I don't want to be a person like this, because I would lose my privilege to call myself her friend.' Slowly coming back to his senses, he watched the defiant expression on Sho's face. Uneki realised the true intention of the musician's behaviour. 'I won't give him the satisfaction!'

"Hey, you really hate your life so badly that you're doing everything you can to forfeit it?" He started. The actor's eyes were squinted, giving the impression of a serious threat. "I don't understand you. I'm only doing what a husband is supposed to do with his wife after all." Sho tried to provoke him once more. "And I don't judge you." 'Loudly.' His conscience reminded Uneki. "But I really don't like the way you treat her. She can be shy and showing her affection in public may make her feel bad." The boy tried to explain it coldly, yet the singer's self-satisfied grin nauseated him.

Sho smiled widely, aiming to attack him with an overkill. "I can't help it. I just really want to touch her, you know? I missed her so much these whole years!" His sarcasm was enough to make Uneki lose his composure. 'That fr*ggin hypocrite!' He got closer and grabbed Sho's T-shirt forcefully. "That's funny." The actor articulated slowly as he enjoyed observing the scared look of his enemy. "You start your sentences with _I_ way too often for someone, who was yearning for your loved one."

The singer gulped, recognizing the danger he was in. "Let go of me you weirdo!" He shouted, trying not to lose his face. It was a terrible choice. The look Uneki gave him as an answer dispelled all of the doubts. 'I'm not gonna sneak out in one piece.' Terror froze his body and his breathing became shallow and rapid. "S...stop it now! I have connections! You will regret it!" Kouki smiled dazzlingly. "I honestly doubt it." He released Sho so he could make a half-turn, gain the speed and then hit him with the most force he could have used.

"Um… is everything all right?" Kyoko appeared out of nowhere. Uneki's brain quickly calculated all of the facts and he reacted properly at the very last second. His potential punch turned into a friendly and innocently nudge. He lightly touched Sho's arm as if he was congratulating him. "Yes, it is. It's only man-to-man talk." His eyes smiled brightly just like his lips.

As befits an actor, the boy made Kyoko believe that the situation was under control. Moreover she started to think that the relations between him and Sho improved. "That's great!" She smiled back, feeling a little dumbfounded and dizzy, so she didn't notice the disbelief presented on her husband's face. 'Kyoko-chan, you can be so naive from time to time.' Uneki thought, extremely glad and relieved that she didn't witness his loss of control.

"I came back to say that we had decided to take a taxi, since it would bring too much attention to use Akatoki's limousine. I was worried, whether you would find us, so here I am!" The girl announced cheerfully. "Hey Kyoko… I don't want to come back home with you now." Sho confessed, trying to sound cool. "Oh? You mean… that you would rather not make my friends uncomfortable and you decided to give us some time to talk casually?" Uneki had to use all of his willpower not to facepalm himself, after hearing Kyoko's theory. Sho only muttered, agreeing with her statement. "Then it's decided. We will just split up later." Uneki determined.

"Let's go this way! Don't stay behind!" She shouted as she ran towards the exit. Her happy behaviour made Uneki feel at ease. He noticed that earlier that day the girl acted somehow strange and unnaturally stiff even for herself, so seeing her jumping, while showing the direction calmed him down. "That punch is not cancelled. If she sheds a single tear thanks to you, I swear you will regret that I didn't knock you down today." Kyoko's ex-teacher promised quietly in order not to let her hear his threat. "Only if you get a chance to lay one finger on me. I've already risen in stardom, a place where so-called _actors_ like you can't possibly reach. If you want to make me regret anything, you will have to become more famous than me." Sho whispered, well-aware of the fact that Kyoko was close enough to eavesdrop.

Luckily, she wasn't doing so. She was in her la-la-land and nothing could bring her back to the reality. "We will see." Uneki answered finally, feeling exhausted after that unpleasant conversation. He could not understand how Kyoko was able to stand that bastard's nature. How can a nice girl like her end up wasting her life with someone so worthless like Sho? If life was a film, there must have been some sort of plot twist that would let her get her deserved happily ever after. 'Even if I'm not the one to make her happy, I will give everything to help that lucky person, who is able to do so, with all my heart.' Uneki vowed sincerely.

They spent their way back home chatting, laughing and enjoying every single second with the friend who was away for so long. Kyoko felt saddened a little whenever she thought about Sho leaving without her, but she successfully hid it. The seeds of a sheer angst sprouted in her soul, making her arms wrap around herself to give a warm sensation and to comfort her. 'He kissed me as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He can't be thinking about… No! Kyoko give yourself a rest!' But the doubt was too strong to be forgotten.

She bid her goodbyes and promised to sleep a lot. They agreed that they would visit her the next day, so she shouldn't miss them. 'But I already am.' She opened the door slowly to see that the lights were off. 'Did he go to sleep so early?' Kyoko anxiously walked in to the bedroom to see that it was empty as well. She sat down on her bed and thought about her situation.

'He had actually told me that he didn't want to come back home with me. It didn't mean that he was planning to get there alone.' The girl looked around once more to make sure that no one was really in their apartment. When her prediction turned out to be true, she just lied down and peered at the ceiling. 'I wonder where he went.'

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I'm truly sorry that I didn't upload anything yesterday. My maths teacher went mad and gave us about 60 exercises due today. I'm a real zombie now. Tomorrow is my day free from school, so I plan to write two chapters to catch up and not to disappoint you. Thank you for reading this fanfic! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**

 **BN: Hello once again! Thank you for reading! As I've said before, it is such a pleasure to work with Cromarry and I'm looking forward to more work in the future. Have a wonderful day!**


	87. Than normal people in hell

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 87

Than normal people in hell

He woke up around ten in the morning. Compared to the hours he was used to getting up at three years ago, it sounded like a crime. The man yawned and looked at his clock half-consciously. When was the last time he could sleep as much as he wanted? He tossed and turned, trying to drift away and get a few more moments when his mind wasn't pointing out the reality that awaited for him. Covering his face with a cushion, Ren was getting mentally ready to face the world.

A mug of coffee could bring anyone back to life and he was glad that he wasn't an exception. When he drunk it up, he opened his fridge to see that it was almost empty as always. 'Why do all of the bad habits remain the same, when everything else is changing?' Ren took a box with a salad, that he had bought the day before. 'Now that I have some time, I really should take care of my health more.' He sighed deeply. The actor was aware of the fact that it wouldn't happen in the near future.

His phone buzzed, which reminded him that he didn't turn on the sound yesterday. Predicting to see the loads of missed calls and text messages, he unlocked the screen and checked if he was right. He really was. 'Yashiro will kill me one day.' His manager tried to contact him every five minutes for at least three hours. Tsuruga-san was about to press the button and call him back, when his mobile phone rang.

"Ren?! For crying out loud, don't scare me like that!" The actor closed his eyes, wishing that he could do the same with his ears. Hearing one of his few friends screaming at him was somehow devastating. "It's not like I had an accident…" He started, but knew perfectly well that it was only an excuse, made up in a rush. "But you could have one and nobody would notice! I shouldn't let you go back alone!" Ren clutched his head in a sudden pain. "Ouch!" He mumbled unwittingly.

"Hey! Are you still there? Don't tell me that you actually got hurt!" Yashiro's voice sounded more squeaky than ever. "Can you speak a little quieter, please? My head is pounding." He whispered loud enough to be heard on the other side of the line. "Hangover, of course!" His friend proclaimed. "How much did you drink yesterday?" He tried to count, but the pain amped up each time he crossed the number five. "Way too much." The actor finally admitted. "Fun fact. It didn't hurt, when I wasn't thinking about it." "There's nothing funny about sending your body into such an atrocious condition!" Yashiro rebuked Ren.

"Don't tell me that you've just drunk a coffee or a tea." The man slumped his shoulders in shame. "A cup of espresso. Is it that bad?" He muttered. "It will only dehydrate you! It would be OK, if you added a slice of lemon and some honey, but regular coffee is out of place!" Ren wanted to make a joke about Yashiro acting like his mother, but first of all, he was too tired to even try and second, his managed hadn't met his mother or got to know how overprotective she was.

In the end he just sighed. "I'm sorry for making you worry. Yesterday was not the best day of my life." It might have been pity that lead Yashiro to stop complaining. "Do you want to talk about it? You know, I'm here if you need me." Ren shook his head, forgetting that his friend could not see him. "Thanks, but I will pass. I guess I drowned my sorrows and I don't feel that bad now." It was obviously a lie, but Yashiro kept quiet about it considerately.

Being a manager was never this hard. Seeing his client rising and achieving the top level of fame was the most rewarding part of his job, but observing as he gradually becomes forgotten could be compared to watching a loved one slowly dying. After Ren's trip to Guam, he was supposed to gain more energy and work even harder not to let anyone take his place, but it happened differently. The actor was drained and every action of his looked like it was forced. The directors were disappointed, fans distressed and his main rival became ominously superb. 'Did something happen in Kimura-san's life as well?' Yashiro wondered, but only for a second, since his client was more important. If this situation continued, his haunted face would earn a few wrinkles in no time.

"If there's something I can do, please tell me right away." He added, wanting to show him some support. "Actually, there is one thing that you could do..." Ren started. "Yes?" "I wanted to meet with the president, if it's possible." Yashiro smiled a little. "It's the other reason, why I called you. He told me to find some free space in your schedule to arrange your meeting with him." He should have held his tongue, because the expression "free space in his schedule" wasn't adequate any more.

However Ren didn't show any kind of a mood swing. "That's great. Tell me the date and I will be ready." Yukihito did not only do that, but also he gave him some advice about dealing with a hangover. The actor thanked him politely and hung up to get ready. Yashiro put his phone on the table and took off his disposable gloves. He looked outside the window to see a drizzle. 'Good thing that it wasn't raining yesterday. It would be way too depressing.'

He had to make a plan or come up with some brilliant idea very quickly. Yashiro was in charge of Ren's success or defeat (or so he believed). There must be some way to make his huge comeback. Maybe he should have checked the new productions? Calling his old friends might have been useful as well. Taking hasty notes, he started his research so as to help not merely his client, but his friend too.

'I can only hope that it's not too late.' He thought bitterly.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I wanted to post two chapters, but then I got lazy and decided to polish this chapter as much as possible. I still hope that I would be able to write something more in the near future. Thank you for following my story and showing your interest. If it wasn't for you, it would be just boring. And also I would like to thank my Beta Reader. She's way too understanding! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**

 **BN: Cromarry spoils me too much. I have the easy job here. I just hope you all enjoy the story as much as I do. Thank you so much for following along with this story. Have a wonderful weekend! (Finally).**


	88. A cautionary, momentary, reactionary lie

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 88

A cautionary, momentary, reactionary lie

'No theme today?' The president's office looked immaculate as if it was a picture from a furniture magazine. People who would walk to the room for the first time wouldn't notice anything suspicious. They would just appreciate the good taste of LME's boss. However the ones who knew Lory's personality and sense of style could only compare the changes with a sad word crossing their mind: "mourning". 'I really messed up this time.'

The owner of the room was sitting down on his swivel chair, looking outside the window and showing no response to Ren's arrival, which was a meaningful message. No excuses were allowed. The young actor gulped and followed the gaze of Lory. The small drizzle turned out to be a fair rain. There was something final about their meeting. Tsuruga-san predicted that the things that he was to hear might alter his life in a crucial way. And it might not be a pleasant course.

The silence was so uncomfortable that even someone as confident as Ren could not bear it. He was wondering whether to cough or to wait for the turn of the events patiently, when he heard the sound of a pen falling down on a desk. "Ren-kun, how are you feeling today?" His bleak expression contrasted with his cheerful question. It was nice that he tried at least. Ren decided to do the same. "I've been better, but thanks for asking. And how about you?"

It looked as if someone took off a mask from president's face. "Actually, I'm disappointed. We can argue, if it was the host's fault or yours, but I think we both know that the answer is not that easy." Ren closed his eyes for a second, trying to give an impression that he has just blinked for a little longer. Not that he wasn't able to look at the malcontent face of his second friend. He ended up letting down yet another person, who believed in him.

If he could time travel, he'd just choose a different destination of his trip. Meeting that girl unlocked some part of his soul that he had forgotten that it even existed. Selflessly making him happy without any hidden motive. Letting him rest finally and start enjoying the simple things. Playing with her. Talking with her. Being next to her. Ren couldn't understand why it meant so much to him. Why did he cherish those memories as if they were very significant? And most importantly – why was he so wrecked, when he got to know the truth?

His mind unconsciously tried to answer those questions for the next few weeks. It wasn't the most appropriate time to lose concentration. He failed even those simple tasks and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a way to get back on the right track. Ultimately, he lost his image as a reliable actor and missed the chance to reveal the verity about his nameless emotions.

Then those brain-washing talk shows started. He spent more time on the "meet the celebrity" programs than on actual acting. Yashiro tried to calm him down, reasoning that state with a theory about fleeting growth of Kimura Itsuki's fame. His manager believed that it was the Dark Moon hype's fault – people just wanted the new face to appear more often on the silver screen, so it was natural reaction that he got better roles. But he was more than sure that it was only for the time being and soon his client would return in a blaze of glory.

Nonetheless, it didn't happen. The rival's skills improved and enchanted the viewers. A gentlemen-like persona stopped being popular and the image of a bad boy with a dark past allured more and more fans. Ren's previous fans. Keeping them close to himself turned out to be impossible at some point and it seemed like the easiest solution to get back to the top was to earn new ones. That's why he took part in that useless programs with challenges or weird and uneasy questions. LME should have known better that it would not help, but it was considered as a last resort. Yes, he managed to gain some elder ladies as his admirers, but it was not the point.

When he watched as "Tsuruga Ren" was falling down in the browser's top search results list, the young actor decided to take a risk. "Give me some romance drama offer, please!" He bowed deeply in front of his boss, hoping that it would be enough to convince him. "The show business world doesn't work like that. You won't achieve anything failing once more." Ren sought for some comforting tone in Lory's voice, but instead he only heard something condescending. His anger arose. "You shouldn't be the one talking! All you did was to find some quiz shows, where I had to act like an idiot! If you're not gonna help me, I will do it all by myself!"

That day something broke down in their relationship. Ren couldn't trust the president, while the second one tried to stop the other from the total destruction of his image. In the end, Tsuruga-san found an interesting role and soon enough he was to play in a new, romantic comedy. But the reality wasn't so funny. The film was one of those "dark ones", which gained popularity thanks to some peculiar person. Every amusing scene was mixed with some depressing flashbacks of the main character's past. His history resembled Kuon's one, which was extremely dangerous.

"Ren! You really don't want to do this." Lory almost begged him to stop. But he couldn't. The usual romantic scenes were shot easily, but when it was the right time to act those sunless ones, the real tragedy happened. He just froze in the place, where he was standing. Tsuruga-san didn't respond to anyone's words, screams or pleads, so they took him to the hospital.

And someone recorded the whole incident and posted it online. Takarada-san was too concerned about his actor's health to notice it. A few moments later, Ren could almost witness his small victory. His name was explored more often in the network, which brought him some additional fame. Though, it was not the good kind of fame.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! The title may look weird, but it's just the sentence from MIKA's song, so please forgive me, if it sounds unnatural. Thank you for all of your encouraging reviews. I can't spill the beans and tell you the end of the story, but please, let's have some hope in the main characters. They will always find a solution! Anyway – I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**

 **BN: Hello! Thank you again for reading! I'm enjoying the story on my end, since I get to read the chapters as well. Thank you for your support!**


	89. Make it all surreal

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 89

Make it all surreal

The doctors couldn't tell any details. The test showed no dangerous harms in his blood or head, yet the symptoms denoted differently. "Did he have any trauma from the past? Is he taking some medicine or visiting the psychologist?" Good thing that the hospital was the private one and no reporter could hear the physician's questions. Lory rubbed his head, feeling unusually hesitant. "That information is our agency's best-kept secret. We are not supposed to share this facts, but let's just assume that he indeed has some traumatic memories. What should we do?"

The young medic sighed. "For the time being the only thing you can do is to wait for him to get back to his normal state. It's been around two hours, since he's been acting like this. Statistically speaking, it shouldn't take long for him to regain his senses. When he's woken up from his inside battle, he should avoid working, being stressed and doing the same thing that led him to this state.", 'Which basically means that he must forgo his meaning of life.' Lory shook his head, overwhelmed with this situation.

"Moreover he should consider talking with a specialist. Even if those painful events are long gone, he must have been affected by them to the highest degree. No one can predict the results of long-time hidden anguish." The doctor looked as if he was wondering, whether to add something more or not. In the end, he chose the former. "I don't want to be intrusive, but my wife is following his career. If the thing she says are true then I would recommend something else." "I'm all ears."

A few minutes later his phone rang, just as he expected. Luckily, there was one person he could count on no matter what had happened. "Hello. How serious is his condition?" His assistant asked. "Stable, but it means that nothing changed so far. I will stay with him, until he's back to normal. More importantly, what did you do about this video?" Lory was furious at himself that he forgot about the possibility of someone posting it online.

"Anyone wouldn't be able to remember about something so unlikely to occur." His companion seemed to read his mind. "We deleted most of the copies, but it's unworkable to get rid of every single one." The boss massaged his temple. "I thought so. Thank you for addressing the issue. I will notify you, if anything alters in his condition."

Just like the physician said, Ren came back to his senses a dozen minutes later. He closed his eyes unexpectedly and when he opened them the petrified looked was replaced by a confused one. "Where am I?" He questioned his boss. "Oh, you're a killjoy! As an actor you should ask about something more creative, the moment you regain your consciousness." Lory decided to make it look like some silly accident for at least few hours. Tsuruga-san didn't need to be stressed about it yet.

"Does it mean that I fainted?" He was already disappointed in himself. Yes, he had a problems with falling asleep, since the "dark scenes" in the scenario made him feel uneasy, but losing consciousness on the film set? It was too much. "I'm terribly sorry! Is the director nearby, so I can apologise properly?" He bowed quickly, which made him see some floaters. His uncertain expression alarmed the president. "You shouldn't make any unnecessary movements. I will call the nurse to examine you."

'But I still don't know what happened!' Ren wanted to protest, but his body was too tired to listen to his orders. 'Why am I so drained? Did I really faint?' His questions were not answered until the end of the day. In the evening he was finally discharged from the hospital, but Lory rejected his idea to discuss the problem at the very moment. "You're too tired to even speak properly. Let's just meet tomorrow!"

During the meeting Ren discovered the truth, but he wasn't as surprised as his boss predicted. "Could this be that you've already experienced something like that?" The actor hid his hands in his pockets and looked away. "Not to this extent." He mumbled, hoping that some miracle would occur and make Lory drop the topic. And maybe all of those wishes that were never fulfilled combined with each other and created a phenomenon strong enough to let Ren get away with it. "What's done is done, but please, tell me earlier if anything similar ever happens."

Then they discussed the strategy of dealing with the video, that became viral in no time. "We both know how much you hate that kind of shows, but it's the best place with an appropriate publicity. You will have an interview about your past. There is no need to tell any details, you only have to make them think that you're dealing with some dark memories." 'Which is quite true.' "That's two birds with one stone. You will earn an image that is popular now and prove wrong all of those ridiculous accusations." Ren noted in his mind to check them later so as not to be rooted to the spot after hearing them during the live program.

"It can't be that bad!" Yashiro desperately tried to cheer him up. "How can you tell?" He growled unwittingly. Feeling guilty about attacking his friend, who meant well, he walked into the stage and smiled slightly, abstaining from being fake. It was his time to be true to himself in order to save himself. What could possibly go wrong?

The host, of course. The easy-going male entertainer's wife had gone into labour. This way the nice and harmless host, chosen by LME, was replaced by the most sly of all the reporters. Not only did she show the most controversial video, but also she managed to present some of the short films that no one was aware of the fact that they even existed. The videos from his previous workplaces, where he failed over and over again.

The show must have gone on and he could not run. 'I'll answer her question and leave, answer and leave…' The new mantra was spinning around his head. "Is it true that you abandoned your projects, because you could not perform any kind of appropriate act?" Why even bother to ask, when the sentence was already full of accusations? She wanted a particular response and the question could not lead to another one.

"Why did you freeze?" 'Let somebody stop her!' "Do you have mental problems and when did they start?" 'Why is no one stopping her?!' "Did you do something unforgivable in your past?" 'Just stop!' Then she dropped the bomb. "Do you have a skeleton in the cupboard?" It was meant to be a metaphor, but his brain got hold of the wrong end of the stick.

From that point his memory refused to record the following events. He might have shouted or cried. Maybe he laughed or stayed silent. Was he cursing? Threatening? Did he actually tell the truth? Or did he just leave the studio? When he tried to remind himself what had happened next, some hazy images of a bar would appear. A taxi driver, who wanted to defraud him. And eventually the morning, when he woke up around ten to drink some coffee and pick up Yashiro's call. Meeting with Lory.

"Actually, I'm disappointed. We can argue, if it was the host's fault or yours, but I think we both know that the answer is not that easy. Yesterday's event made me more certain that this idea is the only proper one. They agreed as well." That gravely timbre in his voice echoed in Ren's mind. "What do you mean? Who are _they_?" The president ignored him, looking flatly out of the window. The drizzle finally showed it's true nature. The streak of lightning split the sky announcing the start of the thunderstorm.

"I think you should go back to the USA."

 **AN/ Hello everyone! An unusually cheerful note here! Today I watched my favourite film "Day of the Wacko" and that's the main reason. More importantly: before you give up on this fanfic, please give it a go. There is always a way, that's my hint. Anyway! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**

 **BN: Hi! Thank you for sticking with us! I really do not have anything noteworthy to add, so thank you if you even take the time to read these notes! We will see you next time!**


	90. In an up-down world

**Keep on trying**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! or any of it's characters.**

Chapter 90

In an up-down world

Sensing the warm beach underneath her body, she run her hand through the sand grains. Then Kyoko remembered what someone had told her one day. If she examined the dust under the microscope, she would see that every single mineral was different from the other. She wanted to check it, but she lacked neither the time nor the interest to actually look it up. The girl grabbed a fistful of sand and let it slip through her fingers. After observing it indolently for a few minutes, she quickly got bored.

'What am I doing here in the first place?' Her mind rejected the idea of giving her any hints. The sun was slowly changing its location in the sky, reminding her that the time was flying by faster that she thought. While searching for some clues, Kyoko noticed that she wasn't lying alone as she expected. The man next to her had his back turned, so the girl could only point out that he was very tall and his hair was blond. "Sho?" She asked quietly, demanding the answer to her previous question.

Then the person turned towards her with a small smile. "Good morning. How was your nap?" It wasn't the voice that proved her assumption wrong. His legs were longer as well, but again it was not the case. She realised her mistake thanks to the eyes that reflected the green forest, the place where they had met in their childhood. "Corn!" She yelled inadvertently. "What a relief! I believed that I would never see you again!" Her friend grinned, deciding to tease her a little. "Why would I? Did you do something bad lately?"

Kyoko hesitated a little, but then she shook her head. She still wasn't aware of the reason why he had got so mad at her that fateful day. Was it her imagination? Did they really part with each other in dispute? Maybe it was a simple misunderstanding. 'Can it be that he wasn't angry at me this whole time?' The pure hope filled her heart just to be mangled by his next words. "It's not like you had lied to me and hid the fact that you were already married. You didn't hurt my feelings at all. You didn't cut my fledgeling wings, making me unable to fly. You're innocent, aren't you?" His eyes, that always carried the solace and the understanding, were now cold and emotionless.

She woke up from that part of her dream to experience the second one. Once again she was lying close to the man, but this time she was more than sure that it was Sho. He was frowning a little, while sleeping, so she took her time to look closely at him. The messy strand made Kyoko aware of the fact that his hair grew a little. Somehow he looked more mature now. If only it went hand in hand with an actual personality change. Thinking that it was just a continuation of her previous nightmare, she determined to enjoy herself a little.

Not even trying to be cautious, she reached out and touched the area around the mouth. His skin felt surprisingly soft and some annoying part of her soul wondered whether it was Shoko-san's duty to take care of his image. Fighting with that weird feeling, that she could not find an appropriate name for, she gently caressed his cheek. "What exactly are you doing?" Kyoko heard a slightly annoyed cry. 'That's quite impressive. I didn't know that my imagination could create such a perfect copy of his voice.'

Smirking, she answered. "What were you expecting from me, when you entered my mattress? It's pretty normal for a married couple to show some affection." The girl giggled, finally relishing her dream. And then she thought that it may be de facto a reality, not the product of her sleep. This theory was so unbelievable and frightening at the same time that Kyoko almost fell of her bed. 'Open your eyes!' She begged in her mind. 'Open your eyes and tell me, it's not true!'

Her wish was fulfilled, but only half-way. Sho indeed opened his eyes, but the spark of confusion and curiosity could not be mistaken. It was not a dream. And she just said the most embarrassing thing in her own life. Well, at least it was some kind of ice breaker.

"Whaaa?!" She screamed and jumped out of the bed so as to move away from Sho. He raised his brow sceptically. "I should be the one asking." The boy started. "I didn't perceive that you had this side of you." Adding it was completely unnecessary. As if the situation wasn't humiliating enough. "I… I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it at all!" Kyoko tried to save the day. "So why did you say it loud? Were you joking?" At this point he didn't really aim for getting a proper answer from her. He was simply revelling in the blush on her face.

"Of course I wasn't! I mean… ugh, you know… why are you even here?", "Isn't it quite normal for a married couple to show some tenderness?" Sho impersonated her, visibly proud of his memorising skills. "Please, stop it!" She pleaded, thinking that this amount of heat in her face must have been dangerous to her health. Her expression managed to touch his heartstrings and he gave up. "OK, let's just drop the topic." Kyoko was somehow dissatisfied. "But… why were you sleeping in my bed?" It was the last sentence she could have predicted she'd ever say out loud.

The man in front of her sighed and rested chin on hand. "Let's answer that later. So hurry up and change your clothes!" He ordered without an explanation. "Why?" She asked, but was intentionally ignored. "I should prepare a breakfast first." Sho shook his head. "No, you shouldn't. We're eating out today." The girl was even more confused. Her husband gave her a lot of mixed signals. It was way too unusual to understand it with no clarification, so she just did as he told her.

"But I've already promised that I would spend this day with my friends!" Kyoko tried to complain, yet she found herself inquisitive out of the nowhere. "We will be back before they arrive." And so he grabbed her arm and left the building. Kyoko was so shocked that she didn't realise that it was the first time someone held her hand after her farewell to Corn.

 **AN/ Hello everyone! I've just raised from the grave! It's nice to come back, especially after this long break. Honestly, I needed it more than I had thought. During those two week I've been ice-skating (5 hours per day), studying for my finals and writing more poems. Actually I contacted a publishing house and they are willing to publish them, so I may not be able to write these chapters daily :(. Anyway! I will do my best to update as often as possible. Thank you for your patience! I hope you have a great day and see you soon~!**


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